A Tale Unfolding
by Fenris-Wolf125
Summary: If you've played Final Fantasy I or Origins, then you'll be familiar with this story. I mostly used FF Origins for PS1 for place names. Character names are my own. UPDATED and COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

They were in the Cardian Sea when the storm hit. Took them completely by surprise. Here they were, miles from civilization, and in the middle of one of the worst typhoons this region had ever seen. Their ship, the _Sea Wolf_, was being tossed about by the fifty-foot waves. The winds howled about, and the rain was pouring down so hard that they could barely see. An enormous wave crashed into the ship, sending everything that wasn't tied down skating across the deck. A few barrels that had not been tied down properly came loose of their bindings and rolled about the deck. One of the cannons was sent over the rail and into the sea. At the helm of the ship, a young man of about 18 was trying with all of his might to hold the wheel straight. He was tall, about 5' 11", and powerfully built, wearing a simple white tunic and brown pants, with heavy boots planted far apart for stability. A smaller figure, a young man looking only slightly younger, dressed in green pants and a loose white shirt with a green bandanna wrapped about his head, stood up from the corner where he had been knocked by the force of the wave.

"Are you all right?" he yelled over the howling winds. His friend at the wheel gave no indication that he had heard him. "Cyrus!" he yelled, "are you okay here?"

Cyrus looked up at him and flashed him a quick grin. The young man ran out onto the deck, nimbly dodging a few rolling barrels. He called to a figure clinging to the mast, attempting to be heard over the storm. "Cut the sails! Cut them now!"

His companion, a young man, about 19 years old, and clad all in red, with long, white hair whipping about his face, was holding onto the mast of the ship with his legs as he clung desperately to one of the ropes. He looked down, finally noticing his friend.

"What?" he yelled. "Sav, I can't hear you!"

Sav'ran pointed to the sails, which were billowing in the fierce wind. The white-haired one followed his friend's indication and looked back. Sav'ran was making cutting motions.

"Are you insane?" he shrieked over the wind. "If we lose the sail, we're stuck out here!"

"It's the sail or the mast! The storm's too strong, we can't furl it!"

Cyrus noted Sav'ran and Vincentio yelling at each other about something, but he couldn't hear a word over the storm. Another wave rocked the ship, and Sav'ran almost lost his footing. Cyrus felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Xoria, her white cloak pulled tightly around her, providing meager protection from the storm.

"How is he?" Cyrus yelled through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain their course.

She smiled at him. "He'll be fine. You know how he hates sea travel." Cyrus nodded. "Well, this is really bad for him."

Cyrus nodded again and returned his attention to the squabble between Sav'ran and Vincentio. She followed his gaze, and then ran out to stand beside Sav'ran.

"What's wrong?" she shouted over the storm.

"He won't cut the sail! The wind's gonna tear up the mast if we don't cut it!"

"Vince!" she yelled up at him. "Do as he says!"

Vincentio couldn't hear her over the winds. "What?"

Sav'ran went over to one of the belaying pins holding one of the ropes in place and drew his cutlass. He put his other hand on the pin, readying to take it out.

"Sav'ran! Don't! He'll fall!" she rushed over to him.

Just then a wave crashed over the deck, washing her overboard.

"Gotcha!" Sav'ran managed to grab her outstretched hand before she went over.

"Xoria!" Vincentio shouted, and slid down the rope that he had been hanging on to. He ran over to where Sav'ran was helping to pull Xoria on board. He grabbed her other hand, and they pulled her on deck. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine" she coughed.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating it. Sav'ran looked up, frozen in fear.

"What is it?" Vincentio asked.

"The sail may not be a problem"

"That's good"

"No it's not" and with that, Sav'ran stumbled over to where Cyrus was steering the ship. Vincentio watched as Sav'ran began yelling and pointing straight ahead of them. Vincentio looked to where he was pointing, trying to see beyond the stern. Another bolt of lighting came, just then, and Vincentio noticed the island in front of them, as well as the rocky outcroppings that they were headed straight for. Before he could react, Vincentio felt rather than heard the crash, and felt himself lifted into the air with violent force. Xoria was torn from his arms. He felt himself flying through the air, then he hit his head on something, and everything went dark.

* * *

"No, no. You're holding it wrong. Here…" the knight corrected the young boy's grip on the wooden practice sword. The boy nodded and set himself into the stance he had been taught. "Good…good, now, come"

The knight set himself into a purely defensive stance as the 8-year old boy gave it everything he had. The knight blocked or parried every one of the boy's attacks with his own wooden sword. After a few strikes, the knight struck the boy's sword arm with his sword, and the sword fell from his grasp.

"Owwww!" he cried.

"Are you all right?" concern showed in the knight's blue eyes.

"I'm fine" the boy said, struggling to fight back tears, and not wanting to cry in front of the knight.

"There's a lad" the warrior patted him on the back. "Tough it out"

"Cyrus!" came a woman's voice from the hallway outside. "Cyrus, where are you?" Then she appeared in the doorway, a woman of not more than 26 with an apron over her clothes and a wicker basket full of laundry under her arm. "Cyrus! Really!"

"Now you've gone and gotten me in trouble" young Cyrus said, despite the fact that it had been his idea for the knight to train him. The knight chuckled.

"I hope he didn't bother you Sir Garland" Cyrus' mother said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

Garland laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. "He's no trouble at all. It's a pleasure and an honor to teach him some of what I know"

"I just don't think it's a good idea, Sir, if you'll excuse me sayin' so. He needs to be doin' the cleanin' jus' like he's supposed to."

"Now, now" Garland said, "If I may…"

"Yes?"

"Now, it may be a little too early to tell, but I believe your son may have some talent." Little Cyrus' eyes lit up. "And he's got heart, and a willingness to learn. I'd be doing my own master a disservice if I didn't train him. Not after I was taken in in a similar manner."

"Oh, but-"

"And I'll personally make sure that he gets into the Academy of Steel here in Cornelia."

"We couldn't possibly afford-"

Garland raised his hand to stop her. "I can cover the expenses."

"Sir Garland, you're too kind…you mustn't…"

"He deserves the best that can be offered"

Cyrus' mother was blushing. "Yes, but…"

Cyrus tried to be unobtrusive, aware that his future hinged on this discussion. He busied himself examining Garland's magnificent broadsword.

"And you…" Garland said, cupping her face in his hand. "You deserve better, too"

Cyrus examined Garland's blue and gold lacquered armor. Next to it, in a glass case, hung a pendant with a crystal on it, slowly spinning. But Cyrus wasn't watching the crystal; he was more interested in the reflection of Garland kissing his mother.

* * *

Over the next 10 years, Cyrus and his mother were well cared for by Garland. During the years of the war with Pravoca, Cyrus was admitted into the Academy of Steel. Garland had instilled in him the ideals of honor and fairness. He lived by the Warrior's Code, and thrived upon the Discipline of Steel. He graduated at the top of his class, feeling that he had lived up to the expectations that Garland had set for him. But by that time, Garland had already been exiled.

There had been a disagreement with the king, and in the heat of the moment, Garland had lost his temper and had drawn his sword on him to make a point. As a result, King Ren had exiled Garland and forbade him form ever entering the kingdom again, on pain of death. Before he left, Garland left most of his possessions to Cyrus' mother, including the estate that they all had lived on, and most of his wealth. To Cyrus himself, Garland gave the broadsword that had been a gift from the king fifteen years ago for defeating the dragon that had been menacing the kingdom. He had taken with him little more than his horse, his armor, and the sword that he had brought with him when he arrived from far-off Onlak, the sword with which he had slain the dragon. Cyrus had wept to see him go, but remembered his last words to him: "Be true to yourself, always. Never stray from the path that you have set yourself upon, whatever that may be. I know you'll make the right choices, as perhaps I have not. I know you will go far. I'm very proud of you."

Cyrus had never known his true father. He had died when Cyrus was very young, killed by the very dragon that Garland had later slain, leaving his mother a young widow. After Garland had arrived, his mother had entered his household as a maid to support her child. But it had become more than that. And it was with a heavy heart that Cyrus watched the only father he would ever know ride in shame away from Cornelia forever.

* * *

After he graduated, Cyrus was soon admitted into the Royal Guard, on recommendation from his teachers at the Academy. This was an immense honor, only the most elite warriors were asked to guard the Royal Family. One night, as he patrolled the halls, he heard a scream from Princess Sarah's room. He rushed for her room as the door burst open, and an armored figure stepped out, with the unconscious princess slung over his shoulder.

"Stop right there!" Cyrus shouted, drawing his sword. "Unhand the princess!"

The figure turned, sword in hand. Cyrus froze. The figure's identity was unmistakable, the horned helmet with the visor down. A few locks of long, blond hair peeking out from the rim, and the cold, blue eyes staring out from the helm.

"Garland!" Cyrus said, barely audible. He was in shock, and only his trained warrior's reflexes allowed him to raise his sword to deflect the blow from his old mentor. Even so deflected, the force was enough to take the surprised warrior off his feet. Cyrus was swept aside and slumped to the floor, still wide-eyed in disbelief. The other guards rushed past, chasing after the kidnapper as he made his escape.

"What happened?" Queen Jayne rushed to him and knelt beside him. "Cyrus! What has happened?" He could not bring himself to answer. She went into Sarah's room and came out again almost immediately. "What has happened Cyrus? Where is Sarah? What happened to my daughter?"

Cyrus finally raised his eyes to meet hers. "Garland"

* * *

The call had gone out a long time ago. Back when the prophet Lukhin had been in the court at Cornelia. He had made the prophecy that four "Light Warriors" would come, each bearing a crystal, and it was they who would quest and rid the world of the monsters plaguing it. Furthermore, he foretold that it was in Cornelia, city of dreams, that the Light Warriors would first appear. Shortly thereafter, Lukhin left Cornelia, regretting that he would not see them first, but preparing for their arrival elsewhere. This prophecy gave hope to the people. But after many years, no warriors came, and the dream was forgotten.

When Princess Sarah was kidnapped, King Ren sent many men after Garland to retrieve her. None were successful. To meet Garland's ransom demands, King Ren would have to halt construction on the nearly completed Great Bridge that he was building as a part of the peace treaty with Pravoca. He was holding out in paying the ransom until the deadline was up, hoping that the Light Warriors would come and rescue his daughter.

Cyrus moped about at home. For his failure (and apparent lack of effort) the night of the kidnapping, he was dismissed as a member of the Royal Guard. He had since recovered from the shock of seeing Garland kidnap Princess Sarah, and was now determined to make up for his failure.

His mother approached him as he brooded in his quarters. She laid her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. "It's hard to accept, I know"

"It's impossible to accept!" he exploded. "And there's nothing I can do. I just wish I could do something, _anything_, to make this right."

His mother searched his face, and, finding no weakening in his resolve, sighed. "Garland left something for you. He said I'd know when to give it to you. I think now is the time."

"I don't want anything from him."

"Just come with me" She led him to her chambers where sat, on her dresser, what looked like a box covered in a blue velvet cloth. She removed the cloth to reveal a glass case, in which hung a pendant with a crystal on it.

"Mother is this…?"

"I believe so. And no matter how much I try to deny it, I see in you a strength and determination beyond your years, much like your father. I'd rather see you safe, here, in Cornelia, but you need to follow your own path. You were made for bigger and better things, and I think being a Light Warrior may be one of them."

Cyrus carefully removed the pendant from the case and put it on around his neck. It flickered briefly in recognition of him, and fell dormant again.

"Do they know where the others are?" his mother asked.

"One of them. Two days ago, a dwarf caravan came into town. They had with them a human with one of these around his neck. That's the only one I've heard of. Although, I've heard it said that the priests of Ysgard have been keeping another one safe for a long time now."

"Well" his mother said, "go and present yourself to the king."

* * *

On his way through the streets to the castle, Cyrus heard some commotion from the other end of town, near the docks. A man came running from that direction, yelling, "They found another one!"

"Hey!" Cyrus shouted, "what's going on?"

The man stopped running, and excitedly said, "A ship just came in from Pravoca, and one of the sailors has a crystal! I must go tell them at the castle!"

A crowd came from the docks, carrying a rather frightened-looking young man on their shoulders. He was of a slimmer build than Cyrus, wore green pants, soft brown boots, a loose white shirt, over which was a green vest, and a bandanna of the same green over his head, covering most of his hair except for a few bangs. Cyrus followed the crowd until they brought him to the castle. The castle guards escorted the young man into the throne room. Cyrus attempted to follow, but was stopped by the guards at the throne room.

"Sorry, Cyrus, but you're not a guard anymore, I can't let you in."

"You sure?" Cyrus said, grinning, and pulling the crystal out from underneath his tunic.

"Is that…?"

"Sure is. Open up!" The doors were opened immediately, and Cyrus stepped through to hear King Ren talking.

"…And that makes two! Remember what you said, Xion, if all three show up, you'll send one of your number with a crystal as well." Xion, the high priest of Ysgard, nodded silently, and then he turned to look at Cyrus, who had just entered. "Cyrus!" the King exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing here? I thought-"

He was brought up short as he saw the crystal around Cyrus' neck. It flickered with light momentarily, as did those of the two other young men in the room. They also seemed surprised by this display of the otherwise-dormant crystals. One of them was the sailor from before. He looked to be a year or so younger than Cyrus. The other one, the one that had arrived with the dwarves, was of indeterminate age. In fact, he was of indeterminate everything. Cyrus could tell by his shoulders that he was an inch or two shorter than the sailor, but beyond that, it was anybody's guess. He wore a tall, pointed brown cloth hat, brown gloves, and a long blue robe. The hat was pulled low over his head, and the robe pulled high enough that most of his face was covered. Cyrus could only make out his amber-colored eyes. Actually, Cyrus wasn't sure if he was a 'he' at all.

"Well, now" Xion said, coming forward. "It looks like I have a promise to keep, and preparations to make. Your Majesty, the fourth Light Warrior will be present here and ready to go first thing tomorrow morning." The he spoke some strange words. "Egress Xetra Incantum Talthos!" and in flash of light and color, he vanished.

"Well, then" King Ren said, "until the fourth shows up, you are all welcome to stay here in the castle." He clapped his hands, and the chamberlain escorted them out of the throne room and to the guest chambers of the castle.

"My things!" the sailor said. "I didn't get them off the boat!"

"No need to worry" the chamberlain assured him, "your belongings have already been brought to the castle and are in your room."

"Umm, thanks"

"I'm going to need to stop by my home, as well, chamberlain. I have things I'm going to need."

"Of course, Master Cyrus"

"Cyrus, huh?" the young sailor extended his hand, "My name's Sav'ran Tar'Ki'En'Sharan. You can just call me Sav'ran, or just Sav, whichever you prefer."

"What about you?" Cyrus asked, turning to the cowled one.

He looked up at them. "Teraptus."

"Teraptus? That's an odd name." Sav'ran said. "Where are you from?"

Teraptus didn't speak.

"Okay…touchy subject, sorry."

They went to their rooms in silence. Cyrus' room was right across the hall from Sav'ran's room, which was right next to Teraptus'.

"See you tomorrow"

"Sure thing"

* * *

The next morning, they assembled in the throne room. Cyrus had gone home the night before and retrieved his sword and armor, though he was not wearing them now. Xion was there, his white hood thrown back for a change, and revealing long, light brown hair, the same color as his beard.

"Are all the Light Warriors here?" King Ren asked.

"Here's the last," Xion said. "The most gifted youngster of our order" He stepped aside and a rather pretty girl stepped out. She looked to be no more than 17, and she wore a white cloak and robes with a pattern of red triangles on the hem that marked her as a priestess of Ysgard. Her crystal was worn on the outside of her clothes, and as she stood next to the others, the crystals once again briefly flickered and fell dormant.

"What is your name?" the king asked.

She looked up briefly. "Xoria" she answered and then lowered her gaze again.

Teraptus, Cyrus noted, was looking at her a little longer than he and Sav'ran had. He managed to hide a small smile.

"Welcome Light Warriors!" the king said, "Your coming has been foretold by the prophet Lukhin, and now that you have arrived, the time has come to rid the world of the evil that has been plaguing it."

"But Sire," the chamberlain objected, "aren't they awfully young to be heroes? Can we be sure that these are the ones that Lukhin spoke of? Or at least, that this is the time to send them? We wouldn't want to send them out if they're not ready, the prophecy may be lost forever."

"Surely it is no coincidence that these four youths have appeared here in Cornelia, just as Lukhin spoke. He said they would appear when the time was right. Now that they are here, we can only assume that these must be the Light Warriors. But before we send you out into the world, Light Warriors, perhaps you could do something for me?"

The four youths waited expectantly.

"My daughter, Sarah, only 16 years old, has been kidnapped by a man named Garland, once an honorable knight here in Cornelia. He's holding her hostage. I beg of you, Light Warriors, please, save my daughter! If you do, then we can afford to finish building the bridge to the northern continent, which will make travel to Pravoca that much easier."

"One question, your Majesty," Cyrus said, "before we go. What exactly happened that made Garland so angry? I knew him in the old days, and he was not a man who would have done something like this." Cyrus stepped forward. "What did he do that caused you to exile him?"

A resigned look came over the king's face. "I knew you'd ask that question, Cyrus. Very well, I shall tell you. Garland was in charge of all the armies of Cornelia during the war with Pravoca. Now, as you may know, the war started because our merchant vessels continuously came under attack by Pravocian privateers. Near the end of the war, when victory seemed imminent, the Pravocian government proposed an armistice, until a suitable treaty could be drawn up. They claimed that the 'privateers' were pirates, and not working for their government. To prove it, they rounded up several of them, and had them publicly hanged. Garland was furious that we were signing a peace treaty with them when we had been on the verge of total victory. There had been an argument, and he drew his sword in the throne room, and waved it about as he shouted. He was restrained and exiled for it. As you know, drawing a weapon in front of the king is grounds for imprisonment, but waving it about like that and threatening me, well, that called for something a little more extreme."

"He was against the peace treaty? That doesn't sound like the Garland I know. There's got to be more to the story than that."

"I'm sorry that it's hard for you to accept, Cyrus, but that's the story. If there's more to it, I am unaware of it. I've told you all that I know."

"Yes, Sire, I believe you. We'll do everything we can to rescue Princess Sarah quickly."

"Good then, you should be off quickly. My chamberlain shall provide you with what can be spared from the royal treasury."

And with that, their adventure began.

* * *

When they left the castle, Xoria let out an explosive sigh of relief.

"Whew! I'm glad that's over with. He was so _boring_!"

Cyrus and Sav'ran looked a little startled at her outburst, then chuckled.

"That's true. King Ren has never been what you'd call an exciting person." Cyrus remarked.

"Well, he's nowhere near as boring as Xion. That stodgy old man has absolutely no sense of adventure whatsoever!"

"Well, I'm glad to see that you do. For awhile there, I was beginning to think that you were gonna be just like most of the priests of Ysgard that I met when I was younger."

"And how is that?" she inquired.

"Oh, you know…really pious, quiet…all serene and stuff."

"Well, that's not me" she said. "Hey…Sav'ran, right? I hear you're from Pravoca. What's it like?"

"Oh, well…It's not much different from Cornelia, I guess. Except that there's no king. It's a smaller town, and we're ruled by a council."

"Cyrus, you're from here in Cornelia, right?"

"Yup, lived here my whole life…not that I'm proud of that"

"And you used to know this…Garland?"

"Yes" Cyrus said sadly, "he was like a father to me. He raised me, taught me how to fight, and even paid my way into the Academy of Steel. He and my mom had a thing for each other."

"Oh," Xoria said sympathetically, "it must have been hard when he was exiled."

"Very. Can we…talk about something else?"

"Sure"

"How about you, Xoria?" Sav'ran asked. "Where are you from?"

"Well, technically Cornelia, but I've spent most of my life in the Temple."

"That explains why I've never seen you before" Cyrus remarked.

"Yeah, both of my parents were priests of Ysgard, so I grew up there. But they died when the temple was attacked by a dragon when I was little, so Xion took me in."

"Yeah, my dad was killed by the dragon, too. I never even knew him."

"Same here. Anyway, Xion eventually became the high priest of the temple, and I was expected to be a priest, too."

"Wait," Sav'ran said, "your parents were both priests? Don't priests have to take a vow of celibacy or something?"

"No, not really. Some do, but it's a personal choice."

"Are you going to?" Teraptus asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Well, he does speak after all!" Xoria said, feigning amazement. She smiled sweetly at him. "Why do you want to know?" She winked. "Interested?"

"Fine" he said, turning about, and continued walking.

"I'm only teasing, Teraptus. Jeez, lighten up a little, won't ya'? And the answer to your question is no, I don't plan on it. I think love is a beautiful thing, and I definitely want to experience it someday."

"Got anyone in mind?" Sav'ran said with a wink.

"Well, well, I just seem to be surrounded with suitors. I should have left the temple a long time ago."

"Hold on" Cyrus said, stopping in front of one of the shops.

"What is it?" Xoria asked.

"Do you all have weapons or armor?"

"I have a cutlass in my bag." Sav'ran said. "But I don't have any armor. Bad idea at sea, you know."

"Well, we're probably gonna be on land for some time, how about some chain mail, like mine?"

Sav'ran was apprehensive. "I don't know. I'm a little more used to being able to move around. Chain mail might be a little too heavy."

"Leather, then?"

He nodded. "Leather should be perfect."

"Xoria?" Cyrus asked.

She stared at him. "You've got to be kidding. I wouldn't be able to move to cast spells if I wore any armor."

"All right, weapons, then? What can you use?"

"I gotta stop by the chapel here in town. The priest was a friend of my parents'. He has something for me. I'll go get it while you're shopping."

"Sure thing. Teraptus?"

"Umm, I've got a dagger…" he pulled the dagger out of it's sheathe.

"Oooh, nice" Sav'ran said, looking at it. "Mithral. A gift from the dwarves you were with?"

Teraptus nodded.

"Any armor?" Cyrus asked.

"I've…never worn armor before, It'd probably slow me down."

"You're gonna fight with a little knife like that, and not wear any armor?"

"Well…I…"

"Leave him alone, Cyrus. Just go and buy what you need to" Xoria said.

"All right" Cyrus said, and he entered the shop. He came out with leather armor for Sav'ran, and several potions. As Sav'ran and Cyrus donned their armor and belted on their swords, Xoria came back from the chapel, holding and iron-shod staff.

"This used to be my mom's" Xoria said. "Her friend was holding it for me in case I ever decided to go out into the world on my own."

"We ready? Let's go, then"

And they set off.

* * *

Those that had been sent out after Garland reported that he had set himself up in the Temple of Fiends, where the dragon that had terrorized the country had come from. It was several miles to the northwest, and they couldn't afford horses, so they had to travel on foot.

"It should take us about a day" Cyrus said, consulting the map that they had been provided.

"Do you think we'll meet any trouble on the way?" Xoria asked.

"Well, there's a lot of wolves about, but they _usually_ don't attack people."

"That 'usually' has a ring of frequency to it, Cyrus" Sav'ran remarked dryly.

"Well, the normal ones don't. Sometimes, though a warg will lead a pack of wolves. And _that's_ when they get belligerent."

"Warg?" Xoria asked. "What in the name of Ysgard is a warg?"

"It's a big wolf," Teraptus said, "or at least, it looks like one. It's a lot smarter, though, smart enough to avoid traps. And it seems to hate people. Or just loves to tear them apart, one of the two."

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you, Teraptus?" Xoria said sourly.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, but you asked, and they-"

"I'm just _kidding_, Teraptus. You know, I think we'd all like you a lot more if you were more open and friendly."

He looked up at her. "If I was…"

"C'mon," she smiled at him, "it's not too hard, is it?"

"Well…I…" he said looking down.

"Look out!" Cyrus shouted.

Xoria and Teraptus dove to the ground, just as something leaped over their heads. They stood up, to find themselves surrounded by small, ugly humanoids with daggers drawn, five at least. "Goblins!" Xoria said with disgust. Cyrus and Sav'ran had their own problems, as six more goblins surrounded them.

"Fun!" Cyrus said, a grin coming to his face.

Sav'ran grunted in agreement, and nimbly dodged aside as a goblin attacked him. Another attacked Cyrus. He caught the little creature's dagger with his chain mail covered left arm, and plunged his broadsword through its body. Then he kicked it off his sword, and attacked another one.

Sav'ran, meanwhile, was dancing and dodging about. He parried a goblin's dagger, and swept his cutlass across its unprotected belly, spilling its insides. He then followed up with a few more slashes at the goblin to his left.

Xoria and Teraptus didn't seem to be having as much fun. Xoria had already brained one goblin, and now she and Teraptus had their backs to a tree, and she was holding them at bay with her staff. Two attacked her at once. She spun her staff in a circle, hitting one, but missing the other. Now within the reach of her staff, it lunged at her, only to find itself impaled on Teraptus' dagger.

"You okay?" Teraptus asked her, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, I-" she stopped as Teraptus screamed in pain. He fell and she saw a goblin behind him, pulling out its dagger. Enraged, she clubbed it with her staff, downing it. The she heard a thump behind her. She swiftly turned, staff at the ready, only to find that the goblin behind her already had a knife in its throat, and was falling to the ground. She looked up to see Sav'ran, his cutlass now held in his off hand, his right arm extended from having just thrown the knife.

"Be more careful" he called.

She nodded, and looked to see that Cyrus had just finished off the last two goblins with one stroke.

"Impressive" Sav'ran said.

"Top of my class" Cyrus said with a grin. His grin faded fast as he saw Xoria kneeling over Teraptus' prone form. They rushed over. "Is he…?"

"He's alive" she responded, "but just barely. Back off, and give me room to work."

Cyrus nodded. "Come on, Sav, let's collect Goblin scalps, they're worth 6 Gil apiece back in Cornelia."

"6 Gil? That's…not a whole lot."

"No, but there's 11 of them here. That makes 66 Gil. That's a little bit more respectable, no?"

"I guess so."

"Well, to work then"

"Cantos Ulinov Reytha Extat!"

A warm feeling spread throughout Teraptus' body, and consciousness returned to him.

"Uh…wha…what? What's going on?" he looked up to see Xoria leaning over him.

"You took a goblin's dagger in the back. I healed you."

"Thank you. I guess I owe you my life."

"Hey, we're all in this together, right? You'd do the same for me" She smiled her dazzling smile at him, and his spirits lifted.

The Teraptus heard Sav'ran's voice nearby. "This is pretty gross, Cyrus. You do know that, right?"

Teraptus looked up to see Cyrus and Sav'ran approaching, each with what looked like a lot of hair in their hands.

"11 goblin scalps. We're makin' money now!" Cyrus said happily.

"Eeeew!" Xoria said, "That's sick!"

"Ah! Teraptus, good to see you're better. We were worried there for awhile."

"You…were worried…about me?"

"Of course! The prophecy mentioned four Light Warriors, not 3 and a half! We gotta make sure we stick together!"

Teraptus smiled. The others couldn't see it, but he was smiling all the same.

* * *

"Melmond" Teraptus said as they continued their journey.

"What?" Sav'ran asked.

"You…you asked where I was from the other day. I'm from Melmond."

"Melmond, huh? Never heard of it."

"It's to the west, past the Dwarven Mountains and across the Gulf of Melmond."

"How did you get all the way over here?" Xoria asked, joining the conversation.

"My friend and I…we built a boat and sailed over here. But we got caught in a storm and he fell overboard. The boat crashed near Mt. Duergar, and the dwarves took me in and nursed me back to health."

"What happened to your friend?" Cyrus asked.

"I don't know. The dwarves said they didn't find anyone else. I hope he's all right."

"Tell you what" Cyrus said. "If we're ever in that vicinity, we'll take some time to help you look for your friend."

"Thanks, guys" Teraptus said, blushing under his cloak.

Most of the rest of their journey to the temple was uneventful.

"There!" Cyrus said, pointing into the distance. "That's the temple."

"Are you sure?" Sav'ran said, peering at it. "Looks like a ruin from here"

"It is a ruin. And I'm sure. Garland took me here once. The top levels have been completely destroyed, so he'll be in the basement level."

"All right," Xoria said, "well, it's getting late, we should make camp here and head out in the morning. Sound good?"

Everyone agreed and set out to look for firewood. Teraptus wasn't having much luck; all he had found were a few branches that had fallen, not nearly enough for a cook fire. Suddenly, he heard Xoria scream from up ahead. He raced up to find her held up in the air by some purple thing that appeared to be mostly mouth. It was holding her up with one of it's many tentacles.

"Lemme go, you creepy monster!" she screamed again.

Just then, Cyrus and Sav'ran burst through the bushes, swords drawn.

"What is that thing?" Cyrus asked.

"I thought you were the local expert, you tell us" Sav'ran responded.

"Can we worry about what it is later!" Xoria screamed.

The monster brought her up to its mouth and bit down on her leg. She screamed in agony. She beat on the top of it with her staff the best she could, but it didn't seem to be affected.

Sav'ran had a knife out, ready to throw. "I can't get a clear shot!"

"Let me try" Cyrus said, and lunged at its side, slashing with his broadsword. He struck it, but it immediately responded by lashing out at him with another one of its tentacles. Cyrus backed away.

Teraptus felt a terrible anger welling up in him. "Let her go!" he shouted, in a surprisingly loud voice. Cyrus and Sav'ran were taken aback by this show of anger in the normally soft-spoken young man. Teraptus felt something inside him, ready to burst.

"Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!"

A searing bolt of flame burst forth from his fingertips. The creature shrieked in pain, and dropped Xoria, its tentacles now blackened and shriveled. Cyrus and Sav'ran were shocked, but only for a moment. They quickly took advantage of the monster's distraction. They flanked it on either side and struck deep blows with their blades. The monster let out one last cry and fell silent, slumping down.

Sav'ran and Cyrus rushed to Xoria's side.

"Are you all right?" Cyrus asked.

Teraptus had fallen to his knees, looking at his hands in horror.

Sav'ran looked up at him. "Why didn't you tell us you were a mage?" he demanded.

Teraptus stuttered "I…I…" Then he ran off into the woods.

"Sav, you go after him!" Cyrus said. "I'll carry Xoria back to camp and get her a potion."

"Can do" Sav'ran said, and took off after Teraptus.

* * *

Teraptus fled, heedless to where he was going, as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Not again…not again…" he murmured to himself, over and over. "Can't let it happen again…"

He tripped over an extended tree root, and tumbled head over heels, rolling down a hill. When he stopped, he found himself in a small grotto, with many bones lying about. He curled up into a ball and began to cry.

"Teraptus!"

Teraptus heard his name called from somewhere above, but he paid it no mind.

"Teraptus!"

He was completely drawn in, oblivious to his surroundings.

"Teraptus!"

In his mind's eye, he re-lived the terrible events in Melmond. Once more, he saw the roaring flame, heard the people screaming. The wind was whipping around him, and all he could do was watch the terrible flame…

"Teraptus! Where are you?"

He saw the look of horror on the people's faces, cringing in fear as they looked at him. He heard their whispers behind his back…the accusations…the ridicule…

He was so wrapped up in his memories that he failed to notice that the bones around him had begun to move. Three skeletons formed, each grasping an old, rusted sword, stood up to their full height, and advanced on the youth.

"Look out!"

Teraptus was startled out of his reverie by the shout so close to him. He looked up and saw the skeletons advancing on him. From behind him, Sav'ran slid down the hill. When he was almost near the bottom, he leaped up, flipped in midair, and planted both feet into the chest of the closest skeleton.

Bones flew everywhere, as Teraptus struggled to regain his footing. One of the skeletons turned to attack Sav'ran, grazing his arm, the other continued to advance on Teraptus. Figuring that his dagger would do little good against these creatures, Teraptus looked about for something else. He picked up a rock the size of a melon, and threw it at the skeleton. He missed by a wide margin. The undead thing continued to advance, swinging its rusty blade. He picked up another stone, slightly bigger this time, and threw it at the thing's head. It connected soundly, taking its head off. It continued to advance on Teraptus, who was now trapped in a corner. It raised its sword, wobbled a bit, and fell apart.

Teraptus breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to Sav'ran. He was fine, and the skeleton was down, but he was clutching his arm.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Guess he got me better than I thought."

"It's my fault. Here" Teraptus took his dagger and cut off a strip of cloth from his robes.

"No, it's all right, you don't have to…" Sav'ran objected.

"You saved me. If you hadn't shown up, just when you did…" Teraptus tied the strip of cloth tightly around Sav'ran's wound.

"Let's not think about it, and just head on back. The others are waiting for us, and Xoria probably wants to thank you." Sav'ran began climbing back up the hill, and Teraptus followed.

"Thank me? I could've killed her with that spell!"

"If you hadn't cast that spell, the monster might have bitten her head off. You did good, real good."

"I'm never casting a spell again!" Teraptus declared.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, my friend"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sav'ran just smiled and led the way back to camp.

* * *

"There you are!" Xoria exclaimed when they stepped out of the woods. She ran over to them, and threw her arms around Teraptus. "I was worried!" She turned to Sav'ran, "Thanks for bringing him back, was there any trouble? Oh! Your arm! What happened?" She let go of Teraptus and immediately began inspecting his wound.

"Nothing we couldn't handle" Sav'ran said, winking at Teraptus.

"What was it?" Cyrus said, interested.

"Skeletons" Teraptus said. "Moving by themselves-"

"Ten of them!" Sav'ran said. "In full armor! Each one wielding a greatsword in each bony hand!"

Xoria looked at him skeptically. "Really?" she asked.

"Teraptus himself destroyed six of the horrible things! Saved my life, he did!"

"You saved his life?" Cyrus asked.

"Not really" Teraptus replied. "There were only three of them, no armor, and each one had a small sword that was mostly rust. I wasn't paying attention, I'd probably be dead if Sav'ran hadn't shown up right when he did."

"Now why did you go and ruin it?" Sav'ran complained. "I was making you out to be the hero and everything!"

"I'm no hero…" Teraptus said, and went to sit down by the fire.

The others looked at each other. They all went back to the fire to sit near Teraptus.

"Sure you are," Cyrus said, "without your help, we might not have been able to save Xoria from that…thing."

"That's right," Xoria said. "It was you that caused that monster to let me go."

"I could have hurt you with that spell!"

"But you didn't" Sav'ran said. "That's what counts. Why worry about 'could have'?"

"Hey," Cyrus said, "in my book, anyone who rescues a damsel in distress, definitely counts as a hero!"

"Thanks, guys…for everything"

"We told you," Xoria said, "we're all in this together! Now what we _do_ need to talk about is the fact that you _can_ cast spells. That's an unusual talent, you probably should have told us from the beginning."

"It's not me!" Teraptus burst out. "It's the crystal! Something about the crystal causes that effect! It's the only spell I've ever seen it do!"

"I don't think it's the crystal," Cyrus said dubiously, "Mine never gave me any spellcasting power."

"Mine neither" Sav'ran affirmed.

"Would you two…leave us alone for awhile?" Xoria asked.

"Why?"

"Mage talk…private"

"Fine," Sav'ran said, obviously faking an injurious tone, "be that way. Shall we go Cyrus?"

"Sure. I wanna hear more about these skeletons."

When they had left, Xoria turned to Teraptus. "Teraptus, the crystal didn't cause anything, they don't have that kind of power."

"But it all started when I picked up the crystal, and-"

"Look," she said, "I can cast spells, too. And I know that the power comes from within oneself. Not everyone can do it. It gets easier with training, but the power is there from the start. If you don't learn to control it, it comes out on its own."

"But it never happened before-"

"Your face," she interrupted.

"What about it?" Teraptus said cautiously, pulling his robes a little higher on his face.

"When I healed you earlier, I got a good look at your face."

"Then you know why I hide it."

"No. I think you just don't know why you shouldn't hide it."

"What do you mean?"

"That mark…how long has it been there?"

Teraptus subconsciously reached up and felt the mark on his face. "All my life…It's a birth defect…So what!"

"No need to get angry"

"Well, what about it then!"

"It's not a birth defect, it's a wizard mark."

"A…a wizard mark?"

"Yes, I have one too," she pulled back the sleeve on her right arm to reveal what looked like a stylized flame tattoo wrapped around her forearm and up her right hand, "see?"

"It looks…just like mine," he said, feeling along his left cheek, the curling lines and sharp angles of the design.

"It means that you have strong magical talent. There are lots of people, who, if they train hard enough, can learn to cast some of the more simple spells. But to be able to cast the truly powerful ones, one would have to be born with a mark like this one."

"But I don't want it!"

"That's not your choice to make, Teraptus," she said seriously. "You were born with the Mark, that means you have to either learn to control it, or it will control you."

"Control…me?"

"I've heard stories about wizards who just let their power go unchecked. Whenever they get put into a stressful situation, or whenever they apply their will to something too much…"

"What? What happens?"

She looked him in the eyes. "The power inside them releases all at once, and consumes them."

He sat back, shocked.

"So you can try and run from it all you want. Deny it if you will, but if you do, it will be the end of you!"

"Easy for you to say!" Teraptus shouted. "Your magic doesn't hurt anyone! You can help people! Your spells don't kill!"

She slapped him across the face. He looked up at her in surprise. "How dare you! How dare you accuse me of having it easy, for something I was born into! I have a talent for white magic, so what? Teraptus, there is no such thing as evil power! Evil exists only in the hearts of evil people. If you have power, any kind of power, magic or not, it's up to you to use it to help people! Look at Cyrus! He has phenomenal strength and skill with a sword! He could use that to bully people, make them do what he wants! Does he? No! He uses it to protect people! Why? Because he's a good person! And you are too! The proof of it is that you're here, with us! We're trying to help everybody! And that means _using_ power! If one has the power to kill, is it wrong to use that power to kill a monster that's terrorizing people?"

"Of course not" Teraptus said, very quietly.

"There! You see! Now grow up!" she sat back down and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"But you don't know…" Teraptus said quietly.

"What's that?" she said.

"You don't know…what it's like…to see…to see…the people you care about…to hear them…their screams…and know that…that it's your fault…it's all because of you!" Tears were streaming down his face now.

Xoria looked at him, eyes wide. "Teraptus…" she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away from her sharply.

"What did you do…?" she asked softly.

"Hey there!" Cyrus called, coming back to the camp with Sav'ran. "You guys done?"

Xoria looked over to where Teraptus was crying softly. She crossed over to him, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "It'll be all right," she said comfortingly, "let's just get some sleep for now, okay?"

He nodded, and went to his blankets. "We're done!" she called. "Let's all get some sleep!"

* * *

The next day they all got up early, and prepared to face Garland. The sun wasn't shining, but it didn't look like rain, either. The sky was just an ugly, overcast gray.

"So," Sav'ran said, walking along next to Teraptus, "how did your little 'alone time' with Xoria go?"

"I don't wanna talk about it"

"You're kidding me!"

"I just…I don't feel like talking right now"

"Sav'ran, leave him alone," Xoria said. Then she turned to Cyrus, whose face was looking even grimmer with every step. "Are you gonna be all right? Or do I have to worry about you, too?"

"I'm fine," Cyrus said, although the tone of his voice indicated that he was, in fact, not fine.

When they reached the temple, Cyrus stopped them all. "Look, guys, I…I have to talk to Garland. I need to know what's really going on!"

"All right Cyrus," Xoria said, "but we're not letting you go in there alone!"

"But…"

"No buts! If Garland's not the same as you once knew, then he might attack you! We're not going to wait outside where we can't help you."

He smiled. "All right"

They all descended the stairs into the basement level. It was pretty dark, except where patches of the floor above had broken and what little light there was from outside shone through. They could hear some shuffling from dark corners all around them, but straight ahead, there was torch light coming from a doorway.

They approached the door and peeked inside. An armored figure was walking about, talking. Behind him, on a stone bier, the princess lay sleeping.

"Soon, princess. Just a few more days…and then the king will pay my ransom, and the pact with Pravoca will go unfinished!"

Cyrus opened the door, it creaked loudly, and Garland turned quickly, his hand on his sword. The other followed him into the room. Upon seeing Cyrus, Garland released his sword.

"Cyrus!" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the Royal Guard?"

"I was dismissed, Garland, for letting you escape."

Garland smirked. "Letting me escape? You're good, my boy, but I don't think you could have stopped me."

"Why, Garland? Why are you doing all of this?"

Garland grew angry. "Do you know why I was exiled?"

"Something about drawing your sword on the king, but story seemed pretty flaky."

"Exactly. I always knew you were smart enough to trust your own instincts and not just believe what they tell you."

"Well…what happened?"

"Despite what the Pravocians would have you believe, they were profiting from the raids on Cornelian merchant vessels." Sav'ran stifled a cry, but said nothing. "Well, we had almost won the war. We were about to march on Pravoca itself, when a message came from the king to stop the war. I was just as happy, myself. Laying siege to a town involves too many civilian casualties. Then I intercepted a messenger from Pravoca. As it turns out, government agents in Pravoca were _bribing_ King Ren's advisors to stop the war. They agreed to make a show of publicly denouncing the privateers as pirates, and hang a few of their crew, claiming that they were the pirate captains. This, coupled with a rather sizable amount of Gil, was enough to make the advisors convince King Ren to stop the war with Pravoca."

"The king's advisors were corrupt?" Xoria said. "Doesn't surprise me. Happens all the time."

"Yes, well…" Garland continued, "King Ren did not believe me when I told him of what I had heard. And these self-same advisors tried to denounce me as a warmonger before the king. I drew my sword on them in anger. I found out later, by my own contacts, that part of the agreement with Pravoca was to get rid of me, too. They had been strewing rumors of treason on my part in the king's ear while I was away at war. When I drew my sword and threatened them, they shouted at me as if I had drawn my sword on the king. In the confusion, he believed them, and ordered the guards to subdue me."

"The king's guards were able to subdue you?" Cyrus said incredulously.

"No, Cyrus, you know me better than that. Furthermore, there's no guarantee that they even would have attempted. I commanded a lot of loyalty from the guards, there could have been a _coup_ right there. But I realized my mistake in drawing my sword, and agreed to go along with them peacefully."

"Now despite my good conduct, and faithful record, the advisors managed to convince King Ren that I was attempting to take over. He refused to believe them, at first, but then when they pointed out that something might happen to his daughters should I take over, he caved in to their demands and agreed to have me exiled."

"All right. I believe you." Cyrus said. "Your story makes a lot more sense than his, anyway. But what I don't understand is why you're doing what you're doing now!"

"I'm determined to ruin those advisors who ruined me. This bridge is mostly being funded by them, so they can fatten their purses more with trade goods from Pravoca, without having to pay the king's shipping taxes."

"You always taught me that revenge is wrong, Garland" Cyrus said disapprovingly.

"I taught you that you should accept an honorable defeat!" Garland roared. "I was NOT defeated honorably. I was stabbed in the back, shamed, and sent into disgraceful exile! I deserve better for what I have done!"

Cyrus nodded, trying to contain his shock at seeing Garland so angry.

"I've chosen my path, Cyrus. And if you remember only one thing I've taught you, let it be this: NEVER stray from the path you have chosen. What I'm doing may be wrong, but I'm beyond that now. I will not waver from my course!"

Cyrus nodded. "So that's it, then."

"Join me, Cyrus. Your friends, too. Now that you know the truth, you do not need to be pawns of the idiot king!"

"I'm sorry, Garland," Cyrus said, drawing his sword. The others readied their weapons, too. "This is bigger than that."

"What…?" Garland said. And then he noticed the crystal around Cyrus' neck. "Is that…?" He looked at the others and noticed the crystals that they wore, too. He smiled. "So…the time of Lukhin's prophecy had come at last."

"Yes," Cyrus said, leveling his sword at Garland, "and I will not stray from this path that I have chosen!"

"Very well, then. Well met. Well met, my son." He drew his sword. "Our destinies collide here! If this was meant to be, then so be it! Defeat me, if you can! I, Garland of Onlak, shall take you all on!"

Cyrus charged, and met Garland's sword with his own. Sav'ran crouched low, cutlass held out in front of him, circling about, trying to avoid the sparks from the clashing swords as Garland and Cyrus rained savage blows upon each other. Teraptus and Xoria stood at the ready, searching for an opening to attack.

Garland grunted as he managed to push Cyrus away. "You've gotten better, boy"

"I'm full of surprises" Cyrus said grimly.

Sav'ran darted forward, and slashed at Garland with his cutlass. He scored a hit on Garland's side, but was unprepared for how quickly the armored warrior turned to counterattack.

Garland's sword came down hard, and Sav'ran attempted to dodge. He got away from the sword well enough, but fell onto a table. He quickly rolled underneath it as Garland attacked again. The table broke and fell on top of him, showering him with the glass bottles that had been atop it. Several hit him on the head, and he was painfully aware of a gash in his leg, painful, but not too deep.

Garland prepared an overhand strike against the prone warrior, but found his sword blocked by Cyrus' blade, then a sharp pain in the back of his left knee as Teraptus stabbed an opening in his armor. He swung back with his left arm, catching the mage in the ribs with his gauntleted fist. Teraptus was sent flying back a few feet. Garland had no time to press the attack, as he found himself on the defense from Cyrus' attacks.

"Good strategy, boy! Never let up!" Garland was breathing heavily, but showed no signs of tiring.

Xoria attacked him on his left side. He caught the blow with his armored left arm, but as he did, she swung the other end of the staff at the back of his knee, the same one that Teraptus had stabbed. He began to fall backward, but caught himself, and rolled away, surprisingly agile in his armor. He came to his feet, and then fell slightly to one knee, obviously in pain. Sav'ran, on his feet again, threw a knife at his face, but he deflected it with his sword, and then just barely brought his sword to bear in time to block Cyrus' attack.

The two once more began exchanging heavy blows. But then, when both of them were delivering powerful, two-handed blows to each other, Garland's sword broke. Almost caught off-balance as he swung, Cyrus quickly turned, set himself, and ran his old teacher through.

Everything seemed to stop. That moment, frozen in time, would forever remain etched in Cyrus' memory. The look of shock on Garland's face, how pale it looked. His blue eyes wide, mouth open. Cyrus' own mouth felt dry, and he wanted to speak, but didn't have the words.

Garland broke the silence.

"You…you've defeated me. Well done, well done, my boy."

"Garland…I…"

"No regrets, Cyrus…you've done well…I'm proud of you…"

There were tears in Cyrus' eyes. "Father…"

"There's no one I'd have rather lost to. Stay strong…you have…a duty to fulfill…" and his eyes closed for the last time, and he fell.

"Garland!" Cyrus caught him and held him up.

"Cyrus! The princess!" Sav'ran called.

Cyrus looked up. "What's wrong?"

"She's not waking up!"

"Hold on," Xoria said, looking through some jars near the sleeping princess. "Here," she said holding one out, "smelling salts"

A couple of bats that had been flying about the room alighted on Garland's body and began clawing at it.

"Hey!" Cyrus said, "Get away!"

He chased the bats off of Garland's body, and they flew into his face, screeching loudly.

Sav'ran laughed. "I don't think they like you, Cyrus"

"Wha…what's going on?" Princess Sarah woke up, slowly.

"It's all right," Xoria assured her, "you're safe now"

"The last thing I remember…was someone breaking into my room, and holding some strange cloth to my face. And a dark room, a strange man. He kept putting the cloth to my face."

"It's okay, princess, we're going to take you back home, now."

Sarah sat up, looking about her. "Where are we?"

"About a day's travel from Cornelia," Sav'ran responded.

"Cyrus!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You rescued me!" She ran to him and threw her arms around him. "I knew you wouldn't let me down!"

Xoria and Sav'ran looked at him, each with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Cyrus began to blush. "Sarah, I…uh, Your Highness…"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" she screamed as she saw Garland's body. "Who's that?"

"Your kidnapper," Teraptus said. "We really should be going. If we start now, we _might_ be able to get back to Cornelia by nightfall."

"All right," Cyrus said. "I'll have to catch up with you, though"

"You're not coming with us?" Sarah said.

"I have to bury Garland"

"We can help," Sav'ran offered.

"No, please, this is something I have to do alone"

"Understood," Xoria said, "Come on, let's get a move on!"

It didn't take too long for Cyrus to bury Garland, and he caught up with them quickly. They barely made it back to Cornelia as the sun was setting. When they came within sight of the city, a horn sounded from within, and a group of riders came out to meet them.

"Your Highness," the knight in charge bowed his head to the princess.

"Captain," she said with a curtsy.

"We're here to escort you back to the castle," he said, extending his hand, "If you will…"

"Thank you, Captain, but I'd rather ride with Sir Cyrus"

The captain looked startled, and Xoria and Sav'ran gave Cyrus sly looks, but there was no problem. The knight had brought a few extra horses, and soon enough, they were back in the throne room in Cornelia. Queen Jayne was in tears, and kept hugging Sarah. The king had leapt from his throne when he saw her, and had since composed himself.

"Well done, Light Warriors, well done! I shall have the men double their efforts, the bridge should be finished within a few weeks time! You are welcome to stay at the castle until such time as it is completed!"

The Light Warriors agreed, grateful for the chance to rest. Two weeks later, they set out again.


	2. Chapter 2

The storm was howling all around the ship. The sailors were frantically trying to furl the sails, so that the wind wouldn't tear the mast from the deck. Thunder crashed, rain poured like a solid sheet of water. The sea tossed and turned. The crew of the _Sea Wolf_ began to fear that they wouldn't make it.

That didn't stop them from giving me the crummy jobs. Sav'ran thought to himself.

The young cabin boy was busy scrubbing down the floor of the crew's quarters. On his hands and knees, he scrubbed, all the while trying to make sure his bucket of soapy water didn't spill over.

Some adventure he thought to himself. Six months of this. I'm getting off at the next town we dock at, home or no

He finished cleaning and went up to the top deck to empty out his bucket.

"S-s-s-s-s-sahagin!"

Another member of the crew, Jasper, crashed into Sav'ran as he ran to tell the captain. The soapy water spilled all over the steps and Sav'ran himself.

"Sahagin! We've been boarded! We're under attack!"

Sav'ran regained his footing, cursed Jasper silently, and looked out onto the deck. Sure enough, three of the fish-men had just climbed aboard the ship; one of them had bright red markings around its face and fins. Sav'ran drew his dagger and ran out to meet them.

A few members of the rest of the pirate crew had already drawn their weapons. Most had only rapiers, but the captain (below deck, at the moment) carried a saber, and bo'sun had a fine cutlass, of elven make. Sav'ran knew for a fact that it was of elven make, because it was his. They'd taken it from him when he had tried to join them. Then they'd made him the cabin boy.

The pirates weren't being very successful in fighting the sahagin. Two of them were already down, bleeding profusely, and three more had nasty scratches from the sahagins' claws. Sav'ran himself didn't dare approach them armed only with a dagger.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Sav'ran demanded of the bo'sun, who was ordering the other pirates to attack.

"Why you impertinent little twerp!" the bo'sun said in his high, shrill voice. "I'll cut you in two and feed you to them!" And he swung down hard with the cutlass. Sav'ran nimbly dodged aside.

"If you don't know how to use that thing…" Sav'ran said, ducking as the bo'sun swung again, "then give it to someone who can!" Sav'ran slashed with his dagger at the bo'sun's right hand, and lashed out with his right foot, kicking behind the taller man's right knee. As he started to fall, Sav'ran smashed his right elbow into his face, and then locked the bo'sun's right arm under his.

"I'll take that!" Sav'ran said, prying his cutlass out of the staggered man's hands.

Properly armed, Sav'ran prepared to face the sahagin. The ship rocked forcefully, hit by another wave. The rain and wind had slackened a bit, but the waves were still a potential menace. Well he thought not as hard as fighting in the tree branches

He heard a crash from the steps down to below-deck.

"Sav'ran!" he heard the captain bellow. "Where is that blasted, no-good cabin boy!"

The captain appeared on deck, pants somewhat wet with some soap bubbles clinging to them. "What do you think you're doing!" he demanded, his one good eye gleaming.

"No time, Captain!" Sav'ran said, and charged the sahagin.

He dove between two of them, as they both slashed at him. One of them hit the other, and they started to squabble. Sav'ran wasted no time. As soon as he landed, he spun on one knee and slashed at the hamstrings of one of the sahagin. It went down hard, and its companion continued to slash at it with its claws. The one with red markings screeched something at them and they both stopped fighting each other. By this time, however, Sav'ran was already on his feet and ready for another attack.

As the sahagin turned to face him, he delivered a high feint and then a low slash at the foremost one. It fell for the trick, and was unable to protect itself as he swiftly cut open its soft underbelly. Its green and white insides spilled out onto the deck, and it collapsed. Its companion charged at him, slashing furiously. He deftly parried its claws with the cutlass, and, seeing an opening, delivered a quick slash, severing the thing's head cleanly.

The rain had stopped completely now, and the seas were beginning to calm. Confident, the other pirates began to surround and close in on the remaining sahagin. Sav'ran was no exception, and he twirled the cutlass expertly as he advanced.

The thing screeched loudly and lunged at Sav'ran. He was prepared, however, and neatly severed the creature's left hand. It shrieked madly, clutching at the stump. Then it dove over his head and back into the sea. A great cheer went up from the other pirates, and they moved to congratulate Sav'ran.

"That's enough!" the captain shouted.

"Now you're gonna get it, twerp!" the bo'sun said, an evil grin on his pockmarked face. "Takin' my sword like that…"

"Sav'ran can keep that sword from now on," the captain said, slowly approaching Sav'ran.

"But…" the bo'sun objected, "but you said…that I could keep it, because I was the bo'sun!"

"That's right, I did," the captain said, frowning. "The sword belongs to the bo'sun."

Sav'ran's heart sank. So much for heroism.

"Therefore," the captain announced, "Sav'ran is the new bo'sun!"

Sav'ran looked up in disbelief. The other pirates cheered.

"You can't do that!" the former bo'sun exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," the captain said, "did ye say something…cabin boy?"

The ex-bo'sun's face fell. "No, sir"

"Good, 'cause I'm the captain, and what I say, goes. Now, thar's a mess at the bottom of the stairs, clean it up right now!"

"Yes, sir"

"Now," the captain said, catching Sav'ran in a rough embrace with one arm, "We need to break out some rum, and have a celebration!"

The rest of the crew cheered. The clouds broke and the sun began to shine through.

It was a beautiful day.

* * *

"It's a beautiful day"

Sav'ran opened one eye and looked over at Xoria from where he lay on the comfortable sofa. She was standing near one of the large windows, observing the birds as they flew in and out of the fancy birdhouses. Teraptus, as usual, was engrossed in one of the many books from the royal library.

Xoria looked over at her two companions. "Let's go outside for awhile, what do you say?"

Sav'ran closed his eyes again. "I'm comfortable, right here, thank you"

She sighed. "Teraptus? Want to join me for a little walk in the royal gardens?"

He looked up. "We're going to be leaving soon. The bridge is almost finished, and I'd like to finish this book before we leave." He saw the sad look on her face, then decided to reconsider. "You know what? I can read outside, it _is_ a nice day."

She smiled at him. "Let's go, then"

Teraptus marked his page with a scrap of paper, closed the book, and followed Xoria outside. Sav'ran resumed his nap.

As they walked down the hallways, they happened to hear music coming from somewhere in the royal apartments. The door to Princess Sarah's room was cracked open a bit, and the music seemed to be coming from there. Xoria put her ear to the door to listen.

"Very good, Cyrus, you've gotten much better!"

The music stopped. "Really? I…I don't know…"

"No, really! You have a talent for it! With a little more practice, you could probably get better at the lute than me!"

Xoria couldn't see into the room, but she knew Cyrus was blushing. "No…I don't think so…You're so good…"

"I've been practicing for years, though. You've only had two weeks, and you've already gotten that song down."

"But…that's the only thing I can play!" he protested.

"That's okay. Once you learn one song, others come quite easily."

There was silence.

"Come on," Sarah said, "let's go outside. It's a nice day out, and I don't know how much more time we have."

Xoria and Teraptus looked to each other and ran down the hall.

Cyrus and Sarah stepped out of the room and looked at each other.

"Did you hear something…?" he asked.

"Not really," she said.

* * *

Sav'ran once again had his nap interrupted as the king's chamberlain tapped him awake.

"Excuse me, Master Sav'ran?"

He opened his eyes reluctantly. "Yes?"

"Where are the other Light Warriors?"

"A few of them went outside, why?"

"Well, we just received word on the bridge. The are still some finishing touches that need to be made, but they are mostly decorative. The bridge is functional and safe to cross. You all may want to set out as soon as possible."

Sav'ran grunted. "All right. I'll tell the others if you don't see them before I do."

The chamberlain bowed and left the room to find the others.

* * *

Later that day, they gathered in the throne room.

"You shall set out tomorrow," the king said.

"But Father!" Sarah objected, "Can't they stay a little bit longer?"

King Ren shook his head. "I'm sorry, my dear, but they have a quest to embark on, and we mustn't keep them here, no matter how much we want to."

Tears filled her eyes, and she ran from the throne room.

"Sarah…" Cyrus started.

"Let her be, Cyrus" the king said. "She needs time for herself right now."

Cyrus nodded.

"If you will, please meet here early tomorrow before you set out, so we may formally send you on your way."

The Light Warriors agreed, and headed back to their rooms for the night.

* * *

When they gathered in the throne room the next day, there were many people there to send them off. King Ren and Queen Jayne, of course, as well as Princess Sarah, and her younger sister, Tiffany. Xion was there, as well as the head of the Academy of Steel.

"Light Warriors!" the king declared. "The time has come for you to embark on your foretold journey to rid the world of the evil plaguing it. May the gods smile upon you, and fortune be with you, that you may be successful."

"And we want to thank you, Light Warriors," the queen said, "once more, for saving Sarah and bringing her back to us safely."

The Light Warriors bowed and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Sarah said, coming forward. "Light Warriors, I have a gift for you, as a way of thanks." She approached Cyrus, and handed him a large, cloth-wrapped package. "Here," she said, "open it."

He unwrapped the cloth to reveal a finely crafted lute.

"This is mine. It's a tradition to pass it from mother to daughter here in Cornelia. This is my most prized possession, and I want you to have it to remember me by."

"Sarah!" the queen said, shocked that she was giving away such a thing.

"I don't need this to remember you, Sarah…" Cyrus began.

"Wait," Sarah said, unshed tears in her eyes. "I want you to promise me, Cyrus. I want you to promise me that you'll come back alive and play for me. Can you promise me that?"

He gently touched her cheek. "You have my word of honor, my dear princess."

Her eyes brimmed. Then she gave a low cry and threw her arms around Cyrus' neck. Then she pulled herself up and kissed him fiercely.

Cyrus almost dropped the lute.

There was a gasp throughout the court. She pulled away. "Now go," she said tearfully. "Go, or I'll break down right here."

Cyrus nodded, turned on his heel, and headed for the door. The others followed suit, and they were on their way.

* * *

"So how long has this been going on?" Sav'ran asked as they rode out of Cornelia on their newly purchased horses.

"What are you talking about?" Cyrus said, trying hard not to blush.

"Umm, well, let's see," Xoria said, "maybe he means you and the crown princess of Cornelia? Sarah? Lots of kissing? 'Don't leave me, my dear Cyrus'. Any of this ring a bell?"

Cyrus was blushing furiously now. "Well, that was the first time she's ever kissed me…"

"Have you kissed her before?" Sav'ran asked.

"No. We…I almost did, once. Earlier this week."

"How long have you two known each other?" Xoria asked.

"Well, we met a few years ago, back when Garland was still in favor in Cornelia. I must have been, let's see…about 14 or so. I guess that would have made her 12."

"You stud!" Sav'ran said. "Reeling 'em in early, eh?"

"No! It wasn't like that! Garland brought me with him to the palace because my mother was sick, and he didn't want me to get sick, too. I was playing with some of the children of the other nobles, it must have been some kind of festival or something. She was pretty shy, I don't think she spoke more than five words to me that day. But she sat by and watched as some of the other boys and I play-fought."

"When did it become serious?" Xoria asked.

"Well, when I was in the Royal Guard, she recognized me instantly. I really didn't recognize her at first, she had…filled out quite a bit since the gangly twelve-year old that I remembered. She was a beautiful young woman now. Well, she wanted for me to guard her room, and, being a princess, she was able to pull a few strings, and get me assigned there. She'd often visit me when I was on guard duty and we'd talk. She'd also invite me to come visit her when I was off-duty."

"Visit, eh?" Sav'ran winked.

"It was nothing inappropriate!" Cyrus declared. "In fact, the queen took me aside and had a long talk with me about it. I knew that I was below her station and that nothing could come of it. I told her that I cared about Sarah, and that I understood what she was talking about. I would never let any harm come to Sarah, least of all by my doing. That settled, the queen was satisfied to let me continue to guard her. Apparently she had had this talk with Sarah, too, because I remember talking with her and she brought up how her mother had told her that her relationship with me was verging on inappropriate. She decided instead, that she would resurrect an old custom, and have me declared her Knight Protector. This would mean that I was her personal knight, and under her sole jurisdiction, sworn by oath to stay at her side throughout my whole life until I could no longer do so, and guard her always."

"So what happened?" Teraptus said, suddenly quite interested.

"Well, Garland kidnapped her at about this time. I was dismissed from the Royal Guard for my failure, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"So how come she's been acting like this for the last two weeks? She hasn't been behaving like you were just her knight, she's been acting more like you were courting. And then that scene in the throne room earlier today…"

"Don't you understand?" Cyrus said. "When Garland first arrived, he was just some wandering warrior from Onlak. As far as the nobility was concerned, he was a peasant, and an outsider at that. But Cornelia was under attack at the time. The dragon was ravaging the country. Garland marched into the throne room and declared that he would slay the dragon. A few members of the court had laughed at him. When he returned some time later, with the dragon's eye, people stopped laughing. They confirmed the dragon's death, and Garland was knighted by the king…instant nobility."

"So what?" Sav'ran said.

"So…if we return to Cornelia successful on our quest…Well, I'd say this is bound to be a lot bigger than saving one kingdom from one dragon, wouldn't you say?"

"We'll be nobles?" Sav'ran asked incredulously, thoughts of great manors and servants and wealth filled his head.

"Lady Xoria…" Xoria said, "I think I like the sound of that."

"So if you'll be nobility when you return…" Teraptus began.

"She wouldn't be marrying beneath her station!" Xoria exclaimed.

"Right"

"You don't sound too thrilled"

"It's not that…it's just…I hope I don't let her down, you know?"

Xoria smiled at him. "I don't think you can, Cyrus. In her eyes, you can do no wrong."

Cyrus smiled. "I suppose that's true."

The bridge loomed up before them.

"Wow!" Sav'ran said. "It's big"

"Yeah," Cyrus said, "I came up here once with Sarah, before the kidnapping. We looked at the plans. When it's completely finished, there's gonna be turrets with pointed roofs and a lot of fancy stonework on the sides."

"Ho there! Light Warriors!" a voice called from a small shack near the bridge. A stocky man with a large mustache ran out to greet them.

"That's Burke," Cyrus told them, "the chief engineer of the bridge."

"I see you've made it here without any trouble" he said. "The bridge is stable and safe to cross, so you can go right ahead."

"Thank you, sir" Cyrus said.

"You should know, sirs, that one of the men swears he saw goblins on the other side."

Sav'ran smiled. "We can handle goblins, but thanks for the warning."

"Now wait a minute!" he cried. "These were no ordinary goblins! My man swears he saw one riding a wolf. That's a little more dangerous."

"Thank you," Xoria said.

"Goblins riding wolves?" Cyrus said as they crossed the bridge.

"Wargs, probably," Teraptus said.

"Oh, great," Sav'ran said.

* * *

The goblin clutched at the knife that had just entered its belly. It lost its balance and fell from the back of the beast it had been riding. Heedless to the loss of its rider, the warg continued to bear down on the Light Warriors, hungry for human flesh.

Xoria crouched, ready to meet its charge. She had her hands on her staff, which was against the ground, lengthwise. She never took her eyes off of the beast for a moment. Cyrus was already up to his armpits in goblins, swinging left and right. She had ordered Sav'ran to stand back, and he did so, throwing knives at any goblins he felt he had a clear shot at.

The warg bore down on her. She raised her iron shod staff at the last moment, bracing one end against her right foot, her left shoulder facing the beast, the staff raised to shoulder-height at an angle, set to receive its charge. The warg could not halt its charge in time, and crashed into her staff.

Set as she was, the warg was still bigger than her, and the force of the impact drove her back. The staff hit the beast in the chest, just below its neck. She was pushed back only a few inches, pulling up on her staff as she did so. The warg's momentum worked against it now, and it was vaulted over her head. It landed on its back, knocked breathless by the force of the landing.

Sav'ran was upon it quickly, slashing its throat with his cutlass. Teraptus quickly dispatched the wounded rider with his dagger. Cyrus, apparently, needed no one's help, as he decimated five goblins by himself, suffering only minor cuts and bruises in the process.

He cleaned his broadsword on the grass, then placed it back in its sheath. "Shall we continue?" he said, grinning.

* * *

"How much farther is it to Pravoca?" Xoria asked as they sat around the campfire that night.

Sav'ran shrugged, more intent on not burning the ham that he was cooking over their fire. "Not too far. Another day or so, I guess."

"That's not very precise," Xoria said sourly.

"Hey, I'm not used to traveling by land, okay? I know exactly how long it takes by sea, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't"

"Well, I'm sorry. Here you go. Eat up, everyone!"

Everyone took their share of the dinner Sav'ran had made from the supplies provided them by Cornelia.

Xoria looked over to Teraptus as he ate. He sat on a log with his back to them, as he continued to hide his face. She sighed, and moved over to sit next to him.

"You don't have to hide it, you know," she said softly.

He was a bit startled and started to choke. She patted him on the back until he stopped. "It's not something I'm proud of," he said.

"I didn't tell them, you know," she said, "about what happened when we spoke that day…Your secret's safe with me."

He looked up at her. "Thanks," he said, looking away again.

"You can tell me anything, Teraptus," she said. "I'm not gonna tell anyone anything that you don't want me to, but you've got to open up to me first."

"Not yet," he said. "I'm not ready yet"

"All right," she said, and went to bed.

* * *

"Do you think he's seen us?" Sav'ran whispered.

"I hope not," Xoria whispered back.

The subject in question was an abnormally large humanoid. It was about nine feet tall, and it was wearing a crudely fashioned smock to cover its filthy body. Its skin was the color of a bruise, sort of a dark purple/blue/greenish combination. Its body was covered in a thick, coarse layer of hair that could almost be deemed fur, and atop its head was a long, shaggy mop of hair. It was also wielding a tree.

The thing sat in the middle of their camp, happily feasting upon Xoria's horse. Cyrus and Teraptus were trying to get on the other side of it. When in place, Cyrus would whistle to draw it out, then Sav'ran and Xoria would attack it from behind as Teraptus ran to distract it and Cyrus attacked from the front.

"Man, I hate ogres," Sav'ran said.

"That's an ogre?" Xoria asked.

He nodded. "They live around here, they-"

He stopped. The ogre had stopped eating and had its head cocked to one side, as if it were listening to something. It stood up, picked up its tree, and began searching with its eyes around the forest clearing where they had made their camp.

Sav'ran swore silently as he and Xoria flattened themselves to the earth.

The ogre approached them step by step, then it turned around and searched the bushes to their left. Suddenly, it swung its club down on some bushes on the opposite end of the camp from where Xoria and Sav'ran hid.

The attack shook Cyrus and Teraptus out of their hiding place.

Sav'ran swore again, aloud this time, and rose to his feet. "There goes the plan," he said, drawing his cutlass. Xoria stood as well.

Teraptus began to run, determined to try and continue the plan and distract it.

With surprising speed, much faster than any of them would assume it could move, the ogre lashed out with the tree and hit Teraptus. It caught the young mage in the ribs, and sent him flying into a tree. He collapsed, unconscious.

"Teraptus!" Xoria shouted. The ogre turned to her.

"Great, now he's seen us," Sav'ran said.

The ogre yowled as Cyrus attacked it from behind. It swung at him with its huge club, but he ducked under it. Sav'ran delivered a quick slash at the back of its legs, attempting to hamstring it, but was unable to deliver such a crippling blow through its thick hide.

The ogre took a step back, attempting to stand where it could see all of them. Xoria thrust with her staff, attempting to take the ogre in the groin. It swept her staff aside with its left hand, and raised the club to strike.

Cyrus delivered a savage swipe at its unprotected flank, and scored a deep wound. Sav'ran wasted neither time nor advantage, and threw a knife at the ogre's ugly face. Only a scratch was delivered, and the ogre swung the club down and hit Cyrus solidly in the chest.

Cyrus was knocked to his back.

"You okay Cyrus?" Xoria asked, not taking her eyes off the ogre.

"I'll be all right," he said, coming to his feet.

"Hold on guys," Sav'ran said, and leaped up into the trees.

"What is he doing?" Xoria asked, annoyed.

The ogre advanced on them, hulking over them, club raised.

"Bocho Othra Legato Turel!"

A bolt of lightning from out of a clear sky struck the ogre. Shocked, it dropped its club. Xoria and Cyrus fell to their behinds in surprise.

"Teraptus?" Xoria said, looking around.

The next thing she saw was a flash of red as something leaped out of the bushes behind her and Cyrus and landed in front of them. All she could see of the stranger was that he wore a red cloak and a red, wide-brimmed hat with a large white feather in it. She saw from behind as he raised a broadsword two-handed, and swung it over his head into the ogre's midsection, there was a great spray of blood, and the ogre doubled over. The stranger, however, was already out of the way.

Just then, something fell out of the trees onto the ogre's back. It stiffened and fell forward, dead as a stone, with Sav'ran on its back, his knife embedded in its spine, right underneath the skull.

"Well," the stranger said, turning to face them with a flourish of his cape, "I guess that makes the world one monster safer, doesn't it?" He winked. He was a little bit taller than Sav'ran, but not quite as tall as Cyrus, maybe 5'9" or so. He looked close to Cyrus' age, maybe a year older. His hair was pale, almost white, and so long that it fell to his shoulders underneath his hat, and he wore on his face a triumphant and confident smile.

He bowed with a flourish of his red cape. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, "I am Vincentio Florentine Valentino, adventurer." Xoria was obviously impressed.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Xoria," she extended her hand to him.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, causing her to blush.

"Thanks for the help there," Cyrus said. "I'm Cyrus, and this is Sav'ran…"

Sav'ran grunted as he attempted to pull his knife from the ogre's body. He fell as he finally did so, and began examining the blade. "Chipped, great," he swore and placed the knife back in its sheathe and began searching for his other one. "That was my favorite, too…"

"Nice to meet you all," Vincentio said. "Lucky thing…I was on my way north from Pravoca and happened to hear the commotion."

"Was that your spell?" Sav'ran asked.

"Yes, it was," he replied, "I-"

"Teraptus!" Xoria burst out. "Oh no, I thought it was him! Where is he?"

"Who is he?" Vincentio asked.

"Our other companion," Cyrus replied as they all began looking for where Teraptus fell.

"Found him!" Sav'ran announced.

They all rushed over. "He'll be fine," Xoria said, and knelt beside him, preparing to cast a spell.

"Allow me," Vincentio interrupted her. He lay his hands over Teraptus' prone form. "Cantos Ulinov Reytha Extat!"

Healing magic spread from his fingertips, and bones began to knit beneath Teraptus' skin. He slowly awoke.

"Hmmm? Oh, my head" He sat up. "Thanks again, Xoria" he said, without even looking up."

"Don't thank me," she said, "thank Vincentio here, he's the one who healed you."

"Huh?" he said, confused, looking up at the newcomer.

"Come on," Sav'ran said with a smile, helping Teraptus to his feet.

"Where are you headed?" Vincentio asked.

"We're going to Pravoca," Xoria supplied as they cleaned up the camp. "Wanna come with?"

"Why are you going there?"

She explained to him about the prophecy and the crystals as they rounded up the horses.

"Sounds like quite the adventure!" he said, excited. "You can count me in! That is…if there are no objections…"

Xoria looked to the others, her eyes hopeful.

"The prophecy said four Light Warriors…" Teraptus began.

"But it didn't say that was it!" Xoria protested.

"Another sword _would_ be useful…"Cyrus mused.

"As well as another healer," Xoria pointed out.

"True," he admitted. He smiled, "Well, he gets my vote!"

"Mine too," Sav'ran said. "We never know if we might need him."

Teraptus looked about, and saw that even if he protested vehemently, that he would be outvoted. For some reason, he felt uncomfortable around the vibrant, flamboyant young man. And he _definitely_ felt that he was getting too familiar with Xoria. He felt distinctly jealous on that note.

"Well, we're down one horse," Cyrus said, "four of us are gonna have to double up."

Teraptus realized that this would be an opportunity to get Xoria away from the newcomer. But before he could speak Xoria chimed up.

"I'll ride with Vincentio," she offered. "That is, umm, if someone else doesn't mind giving up their horse…"

"Sounds good," Sav'ran said. "Hey, Teraptus, why don't you come and ride with me?"

Teraptus was about to object that she could ride with him and the newcomer with Sav'ran, but he realized that he was being foolish. He sighed and handed over the reigns of his horse.

"Are you sure?" Vincentio asked, "You look kinda upset."

"No, no problem," Teraptus said, and allowed Sav'ran to help him into the saddle behind him.

They set out at a light canter until they were out of the forest.

"Pravoca's only a few miles south of here," Vincentio announced.

"So you're from Pravoca?" Sav'ran asked, making conversation as they traveled. "I've never seen you there before"

"I never said I was from Pravoca," Vincentio replied. "Only that I had just come from Pravoca. I hail from Crescent Lake, further south."

"Oh, really?" Xoria said, interested. "What's it like?"

"Kinda boring, really, unless you're interested in the advice of a bunch of old guys."

"Old guys?"

"Yeah, a bunch of sages from all over started gathering there about a few years ago. All kinds of prophets and wise men."

"Prophets?" Cyrus asked. "Was Lukhin there?"

"Lukhin? Hmmm, I don't know…" Vincentio thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! Him! He showed up, and the others all treated him like he was some kind of leader. They sit in a grotto just east of the town, having all kinds of deep philosophical discussion. They act like they're waiting for something to happen."

"Like what?"

"Search me"

When they left the forest, they began moving at a faster pace. Within a few hours, they saw the walls of Pravoca. They rode into town, noting how many of the houses had their windows and shutters closed, as if they wanted to be cut off from the town.

"What's going on?" Cyrus asked, "What's with the houses?"

A woman hurriedly ran down the street, chased by a thin man wearing a red bandanna on his head. He had a rapier drawn and was chasing the woman with an unmistakable gleam in his eye.

"Help me!" she cried.

Cyrus drew his sword, rode up and hit the man with the flat of his blade, knocking the man from his feet. He started to get up, and found himself looking at the point of the blade.

"I don't think the lady wants your company, friend" Cyrus said, a dangerous note in his voice. "I suggest you find some other playmates."

The man scrambled back, picked up his rapier, and stood up. "You'll regret this, stranger!" he shouted, and ran off.

"Are you all right, miss?" Vincentio asked, dismounting.

She started sobbing. "Oh thank you sir!" she said to Cyrus. "They're back in town again, the no-good bunch…"

"Who's this?" Cyrus asked.

"Bikke" Sav'ran said, also dismounting. "He's a privateer from the war-turned pirate. Most of the men hanged in the war came from his crew. His numbers are up again, though, and he comes into town from time to time to make trouble and have a bit of fun." This last word was said with disgust.

The woman looked over to Sav'ran, gasped, and began to back away.

"Don't worry, ma'am, we're here to help" he said. She ran off anyway.

"What was that about?" Vincentio asked.

"I'll tell you later, for now, let's go take care of Bikke."

"Are you sure?" Xoria said, dismounting, "If he's so feared…"

"Bikke's a coward," Sav'ran said with disgust. "He lets his men do all the fighting for him, but when it comes down to a fair fight, he backs down."

"I know the type," Vincentio said, frowning. "Just a bully, then."

"Well, then," Cyrus said, also dismounting, "let's give someone his own size to pick on."

They led the horses to the inn, and tied them there. Then they heard a shout from down the street.

"Figures he'd be at the bar" Sav'ran said.

"Will all his men be there with him?" Vincentio asked.

"Probably, he likes to keep a close eye on all of them. He doesn't really trust anybody, not even his own bo'sun. They all think that he could break them at any time, but he's really only a mediocre fighter at best." The grin that came to Sav'ran's face was absolutely vicious. "He really makes a much better runner."

They all laughed, and proceeded to the bar.

When they entered, all noise in the bar stopped.

"It's them!" the man from earlier cried. "Them's the ones, captain!"

The captain turned. He was a large man, not so much powerful as somewhat overweight. He had a full black beard, an eye patch covering one eye, and as he stepped forward, he did so with a slight limp. "So, you're the blokes who attacked one of me men?" he demanded. "Do ye not know who ye be messin' with? I'm the dread pirate, Bikke!"

"Some dread pirate!" Sav'ran said, stepping out from behind Cyrus. "You're just a fat old man with a bad temper. And your man Jasper there," he indicated the man they saw earlier, "is just as much of a coward as you are!"

"Sav'ran! Why you thieving little wretch! Ye dare to come back here?"

"How's the leg, Bikke?" Sav'ran taunted. "Ache when it rains?"

"That does it! Men! I want the little scalawag's head on a plate, and what he stole from me returned!"

The pirates drew their rapiers, grinning. One of them, a thin, pockmarked fellow with a high, shrill voice, said, "I'm gonna be takin' that sword back, twerp!"

"Over my dead body!" Sav'ran said, adopting a low stance, with the blade held out before him.

"That's the idea"

Cyrus and Vincentio came up to stand beside Sav'ran, broadswords drawn. The pirates, 11 in all, had begun to spread out.

"Why don't we take this outside?" Cyrus suggested, noting the bartender's fearful expression.

"No chance landlubber!" Bikke cried. "Attack, men!"

Sav'ran darted forward, parried a rapier thrust and slashed at the face of the foremost pirate. The blade bit deeply into his face, and he fell to the floor, unconscious. The pirate from earlier, Jasper, tried to attack Cyrus. Cyrus easily knocked his blade aside, and spun, swinging his armored left arm into the man's ribcage. He heard a satisfying crunch as the man's ribs broke. Then he hit him over the head with the flat of his blade.

Another pirate, rapier in one hand and dagger in the other, attacked Vincentio. He made a wide lunge with his rapier, which Vincentio easily dodged aside. Then he slashed at Vincentio viscously with his dagger, cutting across his midsection.

"Vincentio!" Xoria cried out, alarmed.

He appeared to be unhurt, however, and quickly responded with a slash from his broadsword that removed the pirate's left arm at the elbow. The pirate cried out and dropped his rapier, clutching at the stump. Vincentio kicked him in the stomach one, two, three times, and then followed with a kick to the head. The pirate slumped, out of the fight.

One of the pirates jumped past the three of them, leaping onto a table right in front of Teraptus. Teraptus barely had time to dive under the table to avoid the slash of the sword. The pirate then stepped onto a chair and grabbed Xoria from behind, pointing the rapier at her throat.

"Drop your weapons!" he cried. "Or the whore gets it!" Xoria's eyes flashed.

The others all paused and looked over at him. Vincentio held out his sword, ready to drop it. "Don't harm her!" he yelled.

Teraptus, under the table, reared back his leg, and kicked the chair out from under the pirate's feet. With a yelp, he fell to the floor, landing on his knees. He looked up to face an angry Xoria.

"Whore!?"

She set her staff between his knees and pulled up violently. His eyes bulged as she hit him in the groin twice, then she whipped the staff around and clubbed him in the head with it.

"Thanks," she said, helping Teraptus to his feet.

As soon as the pirate fell from the chair, the others sprang back into action. Sav'ran faced off against the pockmarked one, and they began to circle each other. Vincentio reached up with his left hand and untied his cape. He swung it out, and caught the rapier of another pirate. Then he quickly followed up with a slash at the man's shoulder. The man cried out and went down. Vincentio drove his knee into the man's chin and he passed out. He picked up his cloak and looked for his next opponent.

Cyrus was facing off against two at once, parrying and blocking their offset blows. Then he stepped forward, coming directly between the two. He delivered a spinning slash that cut open the thigh of one and slashed the other's chest as he tried to leap back. Then Cyrus grabbed the head of the one he had struck the leg of, and pushed him towards the other. The second pirate dodged out of the way, but his companion slammed headfirst into a table edge. The second pirate lunged at Cyrus. Cyrus spun, his back now to the pirate, and stepped back, catching the man's sword arm under his own. Then he reached back, grabbed the back of the man's shirt, and flipped him over his head. He landed hard on a table, wheezing to catch his breath. Cyrus rapped him over the head with the pommel of his sword, and that was it for him.

"You're getting sloppy," Sav'ran observed as the pockmarked man lunged again. Sav'ran had already delivered several painful and humiliating, but not debilitating, cuts all over his body.

"Stop toying around and fight like a man, twerp!" the man said, and lunged again. Again, Sav'ran dodged aside and nicked his elbow with his cutlass.

"Aren't you having fun?" Sav'ran said, grinning evilly, "I know I am"

The pockmarked man raised his sword above his head, foolishly leaving himself open to attack. Sav'ran lunged forward and smoothly ran him through. The man gasped, dropping his sword and clutching at the blade now protruding through his belly.

"Got the sword back, huh?" Sav'ran said. "Wrong end, though" And with that, he pulled the blade out sharply.

Two more pirates went after Xoria. Teraptus kicked the fallen chair in front of one of them, tripping him. The other leaped at her. She dodged aside and took a ready stance as he stood to face her. He thrust with the rapier. She hit it with her staff from the left, knocking both his arm and her staff to the inside. She pulled back sharply, and hit him on the left side of his face, and heard the crack as his jaw broke.

Teraptus, meanwhile, was holding off the other pirate with the chair, using its legs to deflect all of the pirate's rapier thrusts. The man was becoming more and more angry.

"Put that chair down, and fight, little coward!" he shouted. Then, "Urk!" as Xoria brained him from behind. Teraptus lowered the chair. She smiled at him.

"Teraptus look out!" Vincentio shouted.

Teraptus spun, with the chair raised. The pirate ran right into it, the legs hitting him in the mouth and stomach. Teraptus hit him again and again in the same spots, knocking several teeth loose. Finally, he swung it around hard, taking the man in the head, knocking him out.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty!"

The others turned to see Sav'ran advancing on Bikke, his cutlass already covered in blood.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just gut you like a fish!" he demanded.

"Sav'ran, no!" Cyrus shouted, and grabbed his wrist from behind. "We're not going to kill him!"

"He deserves it!" Sav'ran shouted, struggling.

"Not in cold blood!" Cyrus said, disarming him.

"How'd we do?" Vincentio asked. Xoria had run over to him, examining his red tunic where the dagger had slashed him. To her surprise, she found that he was wearing a chain mail shirt underneath.

"Looks like we're all unhurt," she said. "They've got one fatality, one or two that need medical attention, and more than a few broken bones."

"Look here…" Bikke was saying, as Cyrus continued to attempt to restrain Sav'ran. "I swear I'll be good from now on! Yessir! Just as good and clean as can be, no more piratin' for me!" He carefully stood up one of the fallen barstools and brushed it off, a nervous smile coming to his face.

"How do we know you'll keep your word?" Cyrus asked, distrustful.

"Ye…ye can have me ship! The _Sea Wolf_! She's a good ship, she is! Please! Anything! Just don't hurt me!" There were actually tears in his eye.

"Aww, lemme go," Sav'ran said, "he ain't worth it." Cyrus let him go.

Sav'ran cleaned his blade on the tunic of one of the fallen pirates, then sheathed it. Vincentio did likewise.

"Who's gonna clean all this up?" the bartender cried. "Not that I'm not thankful to you strangers, but I got a business to run!"

"I think you've got a volunteer," Sav'ran said with a snicker, pointing to Bikke.

"That's right," the bartender said, standing over him with a club, "He's got a lot more to answer for, too."

Bikke cringed.

* * *

They all went out to the docks to inspect their new ship. The _Sea Wolf_ was not a large ship, and Bikke's crew of 11 probably filled it to capacity.

Sav'ran jumped up and grabbed hold of one of the ropes that tied down the sail. "We should be able to man this with five people," he said, a smile on his face.

"You know how to operate this?" Teraptus asked, sounding a little trepidatious.

"Of course," Sav'ran laughed.

"How did you know Bikke?" Vincentio asked.

"Everybody in Pravoca knows Bikke," Sav'ran answered evasively.

"Knock it off, Sav'ran," Xoria said, "it's pretty obvious you two used to know each other."

"All right," he said, jumping down, "I used to be part of his crew."

"You were a pirate?" Cyrus said.

"I wanted adventure, and Pravoca is so boring," he said, "Joining a pirate crew seemed like just the thing. But it turned out not to be too much fun after all."

"How so?" Vincentio asked.

"Well, they made me the cabin boy first, that wasn't a whole lot of fun. I had to clean almost the whole ship, and pirates aren't very cleanly people. Then one day, I got promoted to bo'sun, just like that!"

"What's a bo'sun?" Xoria asked.

"The bo'sun is the captain's second-in-command."

"That's quite a promotion."

"No kidding. Anyway, after that, I learned a lot about how the ship works. I didn't care much for the carousing that the others did when ashore, so I stayed out of that. But one day, after we took a ship, I just started feeling wrong about all of it. I didn't like being a pirate anymore. So one day, when we were in port, I took some things and hopped on a merchant vessel that was headed for Cornelia."

"How long were you a pirate?" Vincentio asked.

"Let's see…I was a cabin boy for about 6 months, and then the bo'sun for a little more than a year."

"It took you a year to realize piracy was wrong?" Xoria asked.

"Look, it was just adventure at first. No one got hurt, people usually surrendered. It only took one time of having to fight for it that made me realize it, okay?"

"All right, Sav, I didn't mean to judge you"

"Anyway, since I'm the one who knows how to do everything, I'm the captain, okay? At least, as long as were at sea. Once back on land, Cyrus can go back to being the leader."

"Who says I'm the leader?" Cyrus protested.

"You're a natural leader, Cyrus," Xoria said, "I'd say that if anyone was our leader, it'd be you."

"I agree," Teraptus said. "Cyrus definitely took a leadership role in the beginning, I don't see why that has to change."

"Okay," he said sheepishly, "if you guys say so"

"Cyrus!" Sav'ran called from further up the deck. "I'm going to need someone strong to man the wheel, especially if we run into bad weather."

"Sure!"

"Vincentio!"

"Yo!"

"You're going to learn how to rig the sails. This'll take some time, but it shouldn't be too hard."

Vincentio smiled, "I'm a quick student"

"Is there anything you can't do?" Xoria asked ironically, with a smile on her face.

"I can't swim wearing armor," he said with an absolutely straight face.

She doubled over laughing.

* * *

The sea breeze felt good to everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Teraptus leaned over the rail, violently retching over the side of the ship.

"Is he going to be okay?" Xoria asked, "I don't know what's wrong with him."

Sav'ran smiled. "Seasickness, it's fairly common"

"It's not that…"Teraptus started, then retched over the side again. "It's just…it's just…I hate sea travel."

"Why?" Sav'ran asked. "I thought you said you built a boat to get here from Melmond?"

"I did…my friend and I, we…(gag)…a storm, I told you. That's why…that's why I hate…(gag)…sea travel."

"Hey Cap'n!" Vincentio shouted from the crow's nest. "Where we going?"

Sav'ran thought for a moment. "West!" he called up. "To Melmond!" He helped Teraptus to his feet. "Here. Xoria, you take him below deck and get him in a bunk. We're gonna help Teraptus find out what happened to his friend."

"Thanks, Sav'ran…(gag)…"

* * *

"Well, what do you make of it?"

They all stared at the narrow pass through the cliffs, and the dangerous rapids in the water.

"I don't understand!" Teraptus said. "It didn't use to be like this! There was a wide canal. We used it to trade with Cornelia and Pravoca all the time!"

"Hmm," Vincentio said, "I wonder, perhaps, if the dwarves would know anything? We are near Mt. Duergar, yes?"

"Wonderful idea, Vincentio!" Xoria exclaimed. "The dwarves are sure to know what happened. And even if they don't, they can help us cross the mountains to Melmond."

"I believe the port closest to Mt. Duergar isn't too far from here" Sav'ran said, consulting a map.

The port near Mt. Duergar was little more than 2 docks. And near it was a small trading post that only looked mildly permanent.

"Yeah," Sav'ran said, "The dwarves usually keep to themselves at Mt. Duergar. A few of them, though, the merchants, they stay here, or at least have some temporary shops here, when it's time to ship out goods. When merchant vessels show up here, _then_ the dwarves all come out."

"So Mt. Duergar isn't far?" Cyrus asked.

"As I recall, it's only a few hours away" Teraptus replied.

* * *

Mt. Duergar, as it turns out, was not just a city on a mountain, it was a city _inside_ a mountain. The city guards welcomed them, and led them down a long passageway into an enormous cavern. It was almost as if the entire mountain were hollow.

"Welcome to Mt. Duergar," an elderly dwarf greeted them. "Oh! Teraptus! It's you! You're back!"

"Yes, Tordek, I'm back, and I've brought a few friends with me."

The old dwarf pulled a pair of spectacles out from a pocket and looked at them. "Ah, and are these the other crystal-bearers?"

"Yes," Cyrus answered.

"Well, then, welcome to Mt. Duergar!"

"Tordek…" Teraptus started.

"Yes?"

"What happened to the canal that connected the Great Inner Sea to the Gulf of Melmond?"

The smile fell from the dwarf's face. "The Earth…" he replied.

"The Earth?"

"Yes, my child. It rots away. Crops don't grow as well anymore."

"We were having the same trouble in Melmond…"

"Yes. The rot comes from the west and has been spreading. The cliffs on either side of the canal collapsed, and now it is impossible to travel westward. We sent one of our experts, Eberk, to the west to find the source of the disturbance, and he hasn't returned."

"Can we still cross over the mountains?

Tordek shook his head sadly. "No, it is unsafe. There have been multiple rock slides and avalanches, and I'm afraid all of the roads have collapsed."

Teraptus' shoulders sagged. "Is there no way?"

"Talk to Nelic. Ever since the canal collapsed, he's been working on a way to build another one. Eberk is his brother, you see…"

"Where can we find Nelic?" Sav'ran interrupted.

"Come with me"

They followed Tordek until he led them to another dwarf.

"So," Teraptus said as they walked along, "has old Smythe gotten ahold of any adamantine yet?"

"Not yet," Tordek said, smiling, "The old fool…that's all he talks about nowadays. Any time that anyone asks him to make something he always manages to mention how much he'd like to make something out of adamantine, and then he gets out that little chunk of ore that he has and tell that story about how he found it."

Teraptus laughed, and the others looked at him. "He's the blacksmith," he explained. "He's getting a little older, and his life goal is now to work in adamantine, the most rare metal, at least once in his life."

The dwarf that Tordek led them to also had white hair and a white beard, but he didn't look as frail as Tordek.

"The canal, huh?" He scratched his beard.

"When will it be done?"

"Never"

"What?"

"I'm building a new one. I've got a tunnel built that'll make the canal wide enough for ships to pass through, but I need some Nitro Powder to blow up the rock above it."

"Why don't you get some?"

"My brother Eberk could have made some…but apart from him, the elven alchemists are the only ones who could make some"

"Where did your brother learn to make it?"

"From the elves. But right now the elves aren't doing anything for anybody."

"That doesn't sound like them!" Sav'ran protested, "The elves are a generous people!"

"True, but their prince is ill, and all of their scientists and alchemists are devoting all of their energies to find a cure."

"Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Well," Nelic said, "I didn't see the prince myself, but the people of Elfheim seemed to think that he been put under a curse of some kind."

"The prince is under a curse?" Sav'ran said. He turned to the others. "We have to go and help him!"

"But what about my friend?" Teraptus complained.

"Look, if we can help the prince, the elven alchemists will make some Nitro Powder for us, I'm sure. Then we can have Nelic here blow open the canal, and go to Melmond to find out what happened to your friend, how's that?"

"All right"

"What's the hurry?" Cyrus asked. "I don't think I've seen you so worried about something before?"

"It's…complicated"

"I don't think so" Vincentio commented.

"What do you mean?" Sav'ran demanded.

"I think you have a personal reason to want to save the elf prince"

"Like what?"

Vincentio peered at him. "I think you're an elf"

Sav'ran's face hardened. "Wrong on that note, Vince"

"Really? Then why do you hide your ears under that thing?"

"I don't hide my ears" Sav'ran said, his hand going subconsciously to his bandanna.

"Then take off the bandanna"

"I don't feel like it"

"Why not, Sav'ran?" Xoria asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Cyrus asked.

"Oh, all right!" he said, exasperated. He removed his bandanna, to reveal brown hair that went past his ears. He pulled the hair back to reveal ears that were slightly pointed.

"You _are_ an elf!" Vincentio exclaimed.

"No!" he barked. "My father was…my mother was human."

Nelic blinked. "A half-elf? That's pretty uncommon, elves aren't very fertile with other races."

"Yeah, well…" he said, putting his bandanna back on. "Shall we go? My prince may need our help."

The others nodded, and they left Mt. Duergar.

Once out at sea again, Sav'ran and the others consulted a map inside the cabin. Cyrus didn't take his eyes off the helm, but listened attentively.

"We're going here," Sav'ran said, pointing to a spot on the map along the coast of the Inner Sea.

"Isn't there a closer port to Elfheim?" Xoria asked.

"Afraid not, and with the crisis in Elfheim, we're likely to find the port town even less populated than the one near Mt. Duergar."

"Wonderful"

Cyrus gave a startled cry.

The others looked up. "What is it?" Teraptus asked. Cyrus pointed to the deck, where several fish-men were crawling aboard.

"Sahagin!" Sav'ran exclaimed. "Everyone, spread out! They're nasty, but not too tough, or bright. Cyrus, leave the helm, we won't go far off course, and we're gonna need you."

"Right!"

Cyrus and Vincentio shrugged into their armor, having removed it for sea travel.

There were six of them on board, and two of them looked different than the others. They each had red markings on its face and fins, and one of them was missing it left hand.

"I know that one!" Sav'ran said.

"Really?" Xoria said sardonically, "What's its favorite color?"

"Very funny. I mean I'm the one who took its hand."

The sahagin in question noticed Sav'ran, too. Its nostrils flared for a moment as it attempted to recognize him. Then it screeched a battle cry and charged him. The others prepared to attack Teraptus and Xoria.

"CHARGE!"

Cyrus and Vincentio charged out of the cabin, swords drawn. The sahagin were momentarily taken aback by the cry. This offset them enough that Xoria was able to get in a strike with her staff, stunning one of the creatures. Teraptus followed up with his dagger, plunging it into the creature's heart.

Cyrus and Vincentio each barreled down on a sahagin and delivered lethal blows with their broadswords. There was a cry from the side as Sav'ran and the sahagin he was fighting went overboard.

"Sav!" Teraptus cried as he rushed to the side.

Xoria was distracted for a moment by Sav'ran's plight. She was pulled back to attention by Vincentio's shout.

"Look out!"

She raised her staff in time to catch the creature's jaws. It bit down on the staff, then reached up with a claw and swiped at her face. She cried out in pain. The sahagin reached back for another swipe, but then stiffened and fell, falling limply off of Vincentio's blade. He pulled out a potion, uncorking it with his teeth, and fed it to her. The cuts healed instantly.

"As beautiful as ever" he said smiling.

She smiled back and was about to reply, but Teraptus' cry brought her back to her senses.

"Sav!"

They rushed over to where Teraptus was watching Sav'ran continue his fight in the water. There seemed to be a lot of splashing and thrashing about, and Xoria couldn't tell who was winning. Then they both went under.

For a few moments, there was nothing. Blood began to spread through the water, but whose it was, they couldn't say. Then Sav'ran rose to the surface, gasping for air. The sahagin's body rose shortly thereafter.

"Hey you guys! Are you going to help me up, or what?"

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

Xoria turned to her right, and saw the other sahagin's face right next to hers, mouth gaping wide.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Then she heard laughter. She opened her eyes, not even realizing that she had closed them. Cyrus, Vincentio and Teraptus were all laughing. Cyrus had the thing's head skewered on the end of his sword.

"Very funny, jerks" she said indignantly. "Hey, Sav, want some company out there?"

Cyrus and Vincentio stopped laughing. "That's not funny, Xoria, we're wearing chain mail."

She advanced on them nonetheless, while Teraptus continued to laugh. She was ready to push him in instead, then she heard him gasp.

"Shark!" he cried.

They all looked out, sure enough, a large fin was advancing towards Sav'ran.

"The blood must have drawn it!" Xoria said. "Get some rope!" Vincentio dashed off to get some.

"He won't make it in time!" Cyrus cried. Then he threw the sahagin's head into the water to distract the shark. The distraction worked, and the shark temporarily swerved aside to gobble up the head. It jumped out of the water slightly as it did so, and it was easily big enough to swallow Cyrus whole.

"Bocho Othra Legato Turel!"

Teraptus extended his arms, and a lightning bolt came from out of nowhere to strike the shark. Unfortunately, the shark and Sav'ran were both swimming in the most conductive substance in the world.

Sav'ran screamed in pain and looked ready to pass out. Teraptus fell back, horrified. Cyrus wasted no time, and chucked off his armor and dived in to grab Sav'ran before he sank. Vincentio arrived just then with the rope. He threw it to Cyrus, who caught it and began to climb up the side of the ship, with Sav'ran under his arm.

"Help me!" Vincentio cried, and Xoria grabbed some rope and helped him pull Cyrus and Sav'ran to safety.

"Teraptus! You too!" Xoria yelled. But Teraptus just sat there, horrified by what he had done.

They managed to pull Cyrus and Sav'ran to safety, for the shark became more interested in the floating corpse of the sahagin. Xoria immediately moved to Sav'ran's side.

"Cantos Ulinov Reytha Extat!"

Sav'ran coughed as he woke up.

"That was close!" Cyrus said.

"You're lucky to be alive!" Xoria said.

"Yeah," Vincentio said, "Sorry you got zapped by that spell, though."

"Was that you?" Sav'ran asked.

"No," Teraptus said quietly, "it was me. I'm really sorry Sav'ran, I didn't mean it." He sounded about ready to cry.

"Hey don't worry," Sav'ran said, smiling, "If you hadn't cast that spell when you did, that shark would have gotten me for sure!"

"But…I hurt you!"

"You hurt the shark, too, didn't you? And you bought me some time, which is what ultimately saved me. Remember what I told you before? It's the result that counts!"

"Good thinking, though," Vincentio commented. "Aquatic creatures are weak against lightning. If you had cast a fire spell it might not have worked as well." He chuckled. "It's just too bad water also happens to be conductive."

"I don't think that's very funny" Sav'ran said.

"Me neither!" Teraptus shouted. "You think I wanted to hurt my friend?" He got up and ran below deck.

"Hey-" Sav'ran started.

Xoria put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll talk to him, you three get us back on course to Elfheim"

"Right"

* * *

They had expected the port town near Elfheim to be somewhat deserted, perhaps even abandoned. They were surprised to find it quite alive and bustling with activity. They steered the ship into port and dropped anchor, going ashore.

The port town was populated by humans and elves in relatively equal amounts. It still wasn't very big, perhaps only a few hundred people or so.

"Excuse me," Sav'ran said, stopping by one of the merchant counters, "have you heard any word on the prince's condition?"

All conversation around them stopped. There was an air of unease in the air.

"Uh…" Cyrus began.

"We don't like to talk about it," the elven merchant said seriously. "We try and have faith that he'll get better, but we just don't know."

"I'm sorry," Sav'ran said, "it's just that I've been away for some time, and I didn't know what was going on until recently."

"Well, then," the merchant said, "if you don't hear it from me, someone else will tell you. You see, it only started a couple of months ago. The dark elves said that they finally wanted peace between us and them…yeah, right. The only peace a drow wants is eternal peace, for every surface elf. Well, as it turns out, the messenger was Astos himself, in disguise!"

"Astos?" Cyrus interrupted.

"Astos, king of the dark elves. Well, he put some kind of curse on the prince, so he'd never wake up. Then he retreated to the old castle, to the west, and challenged King Solonor to come after him. The king took up the challenge, hoping he could get a cure for his son, but he hasn't returned either. We all fear the worst."

"And you're just going about your daily business?"

"It's all we can do. The best physicians and alchemists are doing everything they can to help Prince Erevan, and there's nothing the rest of us can do."

"Well, couldn't you-" Sav'ran was cut short as a bell started ringing urgently from somewhere near the edge of town.

"Ogres!" the merchant said, and began closing his shop up quickly. "Best get to safety as fast as possible!"

"Safety?" Cyrus said. "Ha!" He drew his sword.

Vincentio drew his as well. "We shall drive the beasts back!" he said dramatically.

"Oh boy," Sav'ran said, rolling his eyes, but drawing his sword, nonetheless.

They ran to the edge of the town to see the ogres arrive. There were four of them, and they were driving a pack of about five wargs. Cyrus quickly directed Sav'ran and Vincentio to attack some of the wargs while took on one himself. Xoria went after another warg herself, with Teraptus close behind her.

"What are you doing?" she yelled.

"Helping you," he replied.

Before she could respond the warg was upon her. She hit it in the head with her staff, and it lashed out and bit her leg. She held back a scream and pounded it on the head again. Teraptus slashed it in the side with his dagger, and it let go, turning to snap at him. Teraptus dodged, and it returned its attentions to Xoria. It lunged at her a few times, but she backed away and avoided it teeth. Teraptus went in to stab it again, but it turned on him, and he backed off. Xoria took advantage of the opening, and jabbed at its ear with her staff. It yipped in pain, and turned, snarling. Xoria still held the staff in a thrusting position, and when it snarled at her, she thrust the staff down its throat. It immediately began choking, and backing off to get the staff out, but Teraptus was already there, cutting its throat open with his dagger.

Cyrus had already dispatched one warg, and was now facing off against the foremost ogre, trying to avoid its swinging club, but looking for an opening. Vincentio and Sav'ran, having each dispatched a warg, and ganging up to finish off the last one, ran over to help Cyrus.

"Teraptus!" Xoria said, "Cast a spell on one of the ogres, they're gonna surround the others!"

"I told you, I don't know how to, unless it's an emergency!"

"Yes you do!" she looked at him seriously. "Just think about how you were feeling when you cast those spells, let that build up in you, then direct it at something and let it go!"

"I'll try," Teraptus said, unsure.

He gathered his will, trying to let anger and rage build up inside of him.

"I don't think it's working!" he shouted between clenched teeth.

"Try harder!" she coached him.

He looked up to see another ogre approaching the others from behind, it didn't seem as if they had noticed it yet; they were too preoccupied with the first one. No! he thought. I can't let it He began to feel something inside him building. As it gathered, he began to feel his hair feel like it was standing on end.

"Let it go!" Xoria shouted.

"Istrae Centa Extol!" he shouted, when it seemed as if it would be too much. He felt drained, exhausted. He looked up to see if there had been any effect.

The ogre did not seem bothered by whatever Teraptus' spell had done to it. It reared up and prepared to attack, then it stopped. It screamed and dropped its club, clutching at its arms. It looked almost as if its lips were turning blue, but hard to tell from the distance they were at. It screamed again as its blood began to freeze in its veins, bursting the vessels. With its arms bleeding profusely, it sank to its knees. The others had noticed it just before the first scream, and they wasted no time. Sav'ran and Vincentio were upon it quickly with their swords, and they dispatched it in no time. They turned back to the first to see it drop to its knees. Cyrus took off its head with one mighty blow.

"You did good," Xoria said, patting Teraptus on the back.

He smiled wanly underneath his cloak.

The battle was not over, however, as the two remaining ogres roared in anger.

"Hey!" Vincentio shouted, "Does the ogre on the right look a little bit bigger to anyone else?"

Cyrus looked. He was right. The ogre on the right _was_ a little bigger. It also had longer tusks and a slightly more greenish cast to its skin. "Must be the chief or something!" he called. "Let's take it out first, it might demoralize the other one!"

"Come on Teraptus," Xoria said, "we still have work to do"

"I'm too tired to cast any more spells for awhile," he said, not rising from his knees.

Cyrus, Sav'ran and Vincentio ran to meet the two remaining ogres, who were currently charging towards them as well.

"Let's hit it with everything we've got!" Vincentio shouted. Then, "Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" The lightning bolt crashed from the sky and struck the ogre chieftain full in the chest. Its charge was slightly broken, and it stumbled, attempting to maintain its balance.

"I'll distract the other one!" Sav'ran shouted, running towards the other ogre, which was now closer to them. "Hey ugly!" he yelled at it, then took off at a sprint. The ploy worked, and the ogre began to chase after him.

By the time Cyrus reached the ogre chieftain, it had already regained its footing. Not exactly what I had in mind… Cyrus thought as he attacked the thing head-on. Vincentio caught up with him a few moments later, and began to harry the monster from the other side.

A blow to the chest knocked Cyrus back a bit, and he struggled to maintain his balance. He failed, and fell hard onto his back. The ogre smashed down with it club, but he rolled aside. Vincentio took advantage of this, and swung his sword upwards, into the ogre's armpit, as it struck the earth. The tendon in its arm was severed, and the ogre was unable to pick up the club again. Cyrus regained his footing and charged at it, delivering a grievous wound to its shoulder, near the neck. The ogre began to back away, preparing to flee.

"Bocho Othra Legato Turel!"

A lightning bolt came out of the sky, striking the ogre chieftain dead. It fell forward. Cyrus looked at Vincentio. Vince shook his head. They both turned to see Xoria, half-supporting Teraptus, who still had his arm outstretched. He fell again, but Xoria was still holding him up, and she lowered him to his knees slowly.

"Look out!" came a shout from the side.

They looked, and Sav'ran was running their way, with the ogre only twenty feet behind him. He leaped forward, landing on his hands, vaulting himself into the air, twisting as he did so, and landing gracefully atop the dead ogre chieftain's back. Cyrus and Vincentio turned, ready to face the ogre.

The ogre stopped, and looked first at the five humans who faced it, one of whom seemed to be down on its knees. Then it looked at its dead chieftain. Man-things call lightning from sky like shaman. Kill chief. Tribe need new chief. Thinking these thoughts, the ogre backed away from the humans, then ran around them and back into the forest.

When it left, the Light Warriors cheered. Sav'ran, especially, went to congratulate Teraptus for using his powers intentionally. After a few minutes, the bell from the port town began to peal again. The warriors looked to the town to see the people in the streets, rushing out to meet them.

"Great!" the merchant from before said. "You chased them off! And you killed their leader! They probably won't be back for a long time!"

There were other cheers from the crowd as well.

"Way to go!"

"That'll show 'em!"

"Great job!"

"Heroes of the town!"

"Hey," the merchant said, "I'll give you a big discount at my shop, so you guys can buy some fresh supplies. And its almost evening, I'm sure some of the townspeople here will put you up for the night. It'll take too long to get to Elfheim on foot." There were mutterings of agreement from the townspeople.

The Light Warriors agreed, and headed back to town.

* * *

The next day they set out for Elfheim, encountering very little, other than a large nest of spiders, which they had prudently decided to go around.

"We're almost to Elfheim," Sav'ran announced as they walked through the woods.

"How can you tell?" Cyrus said, peering through the forest ahead, it didn't look like it was going to end anytime soon.

"Trust me, I can tell. Now, Elfheim's a tree town. All of the buildings are incorporated into living trees, with walkways connecting them."

"All the buildings?" Xoria asked in wonder, looking up at the huge trees around them.

"Yes. And…one more thing…"

"Yes?"

"I'm…kinda not supposed to come back here anymore…"

"What?" Cyrus said.

"Picked a fine time to tell us," Vincentio said.

"Why not?" Teraptus asked.

Before he could answer, they found themselves surrounded by elven guards with bows drawn.

"Don't move!" a voice from somewhere in the trees commanded.

They all raised their arms above their heads.

"Wait!" Sav'ran said. Then he began rapidly speaking in Elven. The voice in the woods began speaking in Elven, too. The only words any of the rest of them understood were "Light Warriors" and "Lukhin".

The warriors lowered their bows. The unseen speaker stepped out from hiding, seemingly stepping out of a tree itself.

"My apologies," he said sincerely, once again speaking the human tongue, "but we are very cautious about unannounced guests."

"I can imagine," Cyrus said.

"Follow me, please," he said, leading the way to a completely camouflaged grove that they wouldn't have found otherwise. In the grove was an elevator of sorts that worked by pulleys, apparently operated by magic. They stepped onto the elevator, and soon found themselves looking at a wooden walkway that connected several treetop "buildings" together. They stepped out, looking about in wonder.

"Welcome to Elfheim," the elf guard said, smiling at their awestruck faces.

"We need to get to the palace," Sav'ran said.

"Of course," he said, "follow me"

"He believed you right away?" Vincentio whispered to Sav'ran as they walked along the wooden walkways to the palace.

"Of course," Sav'ran answered, looking at him quizzically, "why wouldn't he?"

"Well, what if you had been lying?"

Sav'ran looked at him as if he didn't understand. "Elves don't lie," he stated simply, and turned his head forward.

Vincentio thought to remind him that he wasn't exactly an elf, but decided to drop the subject. Obviously, when in Elfheim, he considers himself an elf, and outside it, he considers himself human

They reached the palace in no time. It was easily the largest tree in the forest, and after their escort conferred with the palace guards in Elven, they were admitted into the palace. When they entered, it became apparent that the inside was magically larger than the outside, as the first room they walked into was at least several hundred feet square.

An elderly elf in fine robes approached them, and dismissed their guide. He introduced himself.

"Greetings, Light Warriors. My name is Zacasmus, and I am Lord High Seneschal here in the palace. I welcome you in the name of his Majesty-" He stopped, looking at Sav'ran. "Savlas Ferathan! What are you doing here? You are forbidden from entering Elfheim! You know that! You leave me no choice. Guards!"

"I'm a Light Warrior, Zac," Sav'ran said, holding up his crystal from about his neck. Zacasmus stopped, thought it over, and waved the guards away.

"Very well," he said.

"Now, what's wrong with Erevan?"

"A curse," Zacasmus lamented, "Astos put a curse on him. And then King Solonor went after him, leaving the Advisory Council, including myself, in charge. We've tried everything, even appealing to the witch Matoya, to the North, but she has refused us."

"Really?" Cyrus said, frowning, "She's usually very helpful, albeit at a price"

"Well, she refused to give us any aid whatsoever"

"Has anything been heard from His Majesty?" Sav'ran asked.

"Nothing. Perhaps you can help, Light Warriors. Perhaps you can find a cure."

"We wouldn't know where to look" Cyrus objected. "I mean, we'd like to help, but…"

"Removing a curse is beyond our capabilities currently," Xoria said.

"May we see him?" Sav'ran asked.

"I suppose so…" Zacasmus said reluctantly.

As they walked down the corridors, Teraptus stepped up to walk beside Sav'ran. "Savlas Ferathan?"

Sav'ran blushed a bit. "It's my full name. Savlas Ferathan Tar'Ki'En'Sharan. Sav'ran, is a shortened version of my first name."

"I see"

They entered the chamber in which the prince was sleeping. It was a large, white room, with several windows along one wall, open to let the outside air in. There was a large bed in the center of the room, in which the prince lay sleeping. As they entered, a physician, who had been sitting alongside the prince's bed, stood up.

"Don't get up, doctor, the prince just has some visitors is all." Zacasmus said

"Visitors?" the doctor asked. "I don't think-"

"They're the Light Warriors, from Lukhin's prophecy"

"Really?" the doctor asked, interested. He walked up to them and began inspecting them all. "Human, mostly…" he said, then approached Sav'ran. "I say…have we met before?"

"This would be the young prince's brother," Zacasmus said, a slight note of disgust in his voice. "Since he's a Light Warrior now, we're permitting him to break his exile."

"Brother?" the others said incredulously, looking at Sav'ran.

He nodded, looking almost embarrassed to say it. "My father…is King Solonor. He…when the queen died, shortly after Erevan was born, he took a human lover for awhile…that was my mother. Erevan and I grew up together, well for awhile anyway. The king's advisors wanted to avoid a scandal, and they didn't think that my lineage could be kept a secret for very long…so they convinced my father to send my mother and I away." Sav'ran gave Zacasmus an unforgiving look.

"How is it that your mother was here in Elfheim?" Vincentio asked.

"My mother's family had been declared elf-friends several generations ago. That happens when a non-elf performed such a great service to the elven community, and it means that they are basically honorary elves."

"I see…so you still have family here in Elfheim?"

"Yes…my grandfather still lives here." He turned to Zacasmus, "How is my grandfather anyway?"

Zacasmus sighed, looking very sad. "I regret to say that your grandfather died a few months ago. He was staying in the palace, working with some of the other town planners on a proposal for a new protection system for the town, and…well he tried to interfere with Astos as he was leaving after cursing the prince…" his voice trailed off. "I'm very sorry."

There were tears in Sav'ran's eyes, and he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"If it's any consolation, he was given a hero's funeral, and His Majesty himself spoke at it."

"It is…a little bit…thank you"

Zacasmus bowed his head respectfully, then, "How is your mother faring in Pravoca?"

"She's okay," Sav'ran said, seemingly relieved to talk about something besides his grandfather, "She's now the most prestigious seamstress in Pravoca. All that training she received from the elven ladies, you know…"

Zacasmus actually laughed. "That's good to hear"

There was a moment of silence.

"You know," Zacasmus said, "that after all this time, its very unlikely that King Solonor is still alive…" He had a far-off tone in his voice.

"Yes?" Sav'ran said, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Well, if the prince gets better, and it turns out that the king _is_ gone, then he will be crowned king."

"Right," Sav'ran said, still not understanding.

Zacasmus sighed. "He has made mention before, that when he becomes king, one of his first acts will be to revoke yours and your mother's exile…"

"Really?" Sav'ran said, interested. "And you, of course, object to this?"

Zacasmus sighed again. "Not really. You see, if the king is gone, then the damage to his reputation wouldn't be a danger, as no one would try and tarnish the memory of one who has passed on. You must understand, scandal was really the only reason we sent you both away. We all saw how much happier the prince had been when he had you as a playmate, and many of us were very fond of your mother as well. I myself still have one of the robes I commissioned from her. I only wear it for truly special occasions and I tell people quite proudly that a human made it for me."

"I know," Sav'ran said ruefully, "you don't have to worry, my mother isn't angry at anyone…except perhaps my father, she kind of feels that he should have stood up for her more. But she well understood the reason."

Zacasmus nodded, "She was always very wise…beyond her years, really."

Sav'ran nodded.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Zacasmus asked.

"I think we'll spend the rest of the day here," Sav'ran said. "I have some places I'd like to visit, if everyone else doesn't mind, and I'd like to check up on my grandfather's old home, see how that's faring…"

"Nobody has moved into it," Zacasmus told him, "The prince wanted your old home to be available to you when you moved back to Elfheim."

Sav'ran nodded. "I'll show you guys where the house is, we can stay there tonight. Until tonight, then…enjoy yourselves, I guess. Visit some of the shops, have fun."

Everyone left the palace and explored Elfheim. Vincentio and Xoria walked hand in hand through the walkways connecting the majestic trees. They took in the beautiful sights, and Vincentio bought Xoria an intricately wrought necklace. As evening approached, they headed to the treetops to watch the sunset together.

Teraptus, wanting to be around Xoria, but not with Vincentio, decided to spend some time with Cyrus. Of their little group he was closest to Xoria and Sav'ran, and he decided that now would be a good time to get to know Cyrus better. They talked a lot as they wandered the town. That is, Cyrus did most of the talking, Teraptus still didn't feel comfortable revealing everything just yet, but he was interested in what Cyrus had to say. They also visited some of the elven craftsmen, and Cyrus traded in his chain mail for a suit of plate mail, wrought from finely crafted mithral steel. The armorer also attempted to get Teraptus to purchase some magical bracelets.

"They have a defensive spell on them!" he said. "As good as if you were wearing armor!"

Cyrus and Teraptus were both skeptical.

"Don't believe me?" he said, "Watch" He placed a small log on top of two supports and commanded Cyrus to chop it in two. He didn't see what good it would do, but he did it anyway. Then the armorer put a similar log on the supports and slipped the bracelet on it. "Now try again," he said smugly. Determined to wipe the grin off the elf's face, Cyrus slashed down hard with his sword. He was dumfounded when it only made a small cut in the wood.

"How?" he said, inspecting the wood.

Teraptus inspected it for himself. He whistled in appreciation. "I'll take two," he said, then turned to Cyrus. "Can we afford two?"

"I think so, but I think only one works at a time, right?" The armorer nodded.

"I wanna get one for Xoria"

"Oh," Cyrus said, a twinkle in his eye, "you wanna outdo Vincentio with a nice gift, eh?"

"Well…I just thought…you know…we might want to protect our healer better"

Cyrus nodded. "All right, we can afford it. But I'm not gonna buy it unless you admit that you want to impress her."

Teraptus looked at him for a moment, and saw that he looked almost serious. "All right," he said, defeated. "You win, you're right"

"Ha! I knew it!" Cyrus gloated, and paid the armorer.

They all met at Sav'ran's family's house as night was falling. Sav'ran was seated in a big chair, reading a book as they entered.

"Hi guys," he said softly.

"Are you all right?" Xoria asked.

He smiled wanly. "I'm fine. I guess it's just that…there's a lot of memories here, you know?"

They all nodded. Teraptus approached Xoria.

"Xoria, I…I wanna give you this" and he handed her the copper bracelet. Cyrus had insisted that he give it to her in front of everyone. He knew that Cyrus was trying to help him with Xoria, but he still felt embarrassed, and kind of resented Cyrus for it a little bit.

"Teraptus, you shouldn't have!" Xoria said as he put it in her hands.

"It's magical," he supplied, showing her his own. "It will protect you, like armor"

"Oh, so it's more like equipment than a gift," she said. She seemed almost…relieved?

"Go ahead and show 'em," Vincentio nudged her.

She nodded as she put the bracelet on. She held up the necklace from her neck and showed it to everybody. "Look what Vincentio bought for me, isn't it nice?"

Everyone gathered to admire it. Sav'ran whistled in appreciation, "Elegant," he said. Teraptus mumbled something nice about it, but inside, he felt his hopes crash. Vincentio had one-upped him. He had hoped to point out that he and her now wore matching bracelets, as Cyrus suggested, but now…now she just thought of his gift as him sparing her the time to go equipment shopping.

They all prepared to go to bed. Teraptus sighed. Cyrus came up and patted him on the back. "Hey, don't sweat it, pal"

"Easy for you to say, you got a girl waiting for you back home," it came out more bitter than he had intended.

"That wasn't very nice," Cyrus reproached him. "Look, it's a setback, but nothing worthwhile is easy, right?"

"I should just give up," Teraptus despaired.

"Hey, none of that! If you give up, then you'll never get her! If you give up now, then Vincentio's already won, right?"

"Why are you helping me?" Teraptus asked. "I thought you liked him"

"I do like him. He's a good fighter, he knows some magic, and he's a great asset to the group. But hey, you, me, Xoria and Sav'ran…we're the _Light Warriors_, we gotta stick together, right? Didn't I tell you when we were headed out for Garland, that we'd always be there for you?"

"Yeah…" Teraptus said, his voice thick.

"And maybe…" Cyrus said, "maybe I think Vincentio's moving in on Xoria a little too fast. I really thought you two had something going there, at first. Especially with how drawn in you get sometimes, well…she really seemed to bring you out of the shell, got you to open up more, and we liked that. The he comes along, trying very hard to sweep her off her feet…"

"And it worked," Teraptus said sullenly.

"Now don't get down now. You never know, maybe she's just doing it to make you jealous."

"Make me jealous…?"

"Yeah, I've heard of girls doing this before. When they feel that the guy they want isn't paying enough attention to them, they start flirting with some other guy to get the first one to pay more attention to them."

"You think so?"

"Hey, maybe," he cocked his head, "In which case, though, I actually would have to feel sorry for Vincentio…"

Teraptus couldn't help but laugh. Cyrus soon joined him.

"Come on, let's get some shuteye"

* * *

They set out from Elfheim in the morning, heading west. Before they left, Vincentio purchased a mithral steel broadsword from one of the elven master weaponsmiths. Cyrus declined purchasing a similar sword, preferring to keep the one that had been a good-bye gift from Garland so many years ago.

Elves had little need for horses, so once again they had to travel on foot. Vincentio admired his sword as they traveled. It shined brightly, even in the shade, and in the sun it positively gleamed.

"Isn't it magnificent?" he said for about the third time in the past hour.

"Yes, Vincentio," Xoria said wearily. Even _she_ was getting sick of him talking about the sword non-stop.

"Elven craftsmanship is the best," Sav'ran said proudly.

"There is something to say for the dwarves," Teraptus chimed in. "They have at least as much pride in their work, and as much skill, as the elves."

"Yes, but you see elves…"

And so started a debate on craftsmanship that lasted for the better part of an hour until finally, Xoria snapped.

"Will you guys shut up!" she said, exasperated.

They all looked at her, wide-eyed in surprise.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I'm getting sick of all this 'my stuff is made better than your stuff' garbage!"

They continued west, turning north through a pass through the mountains, but remaining in a forest the whole time.

"How much farther is it?" Cyrus asked as they made camp for the night.

Sav'ran consulted the map. "At this rate, I'd say another two days."

The others groaned and went to bed.

They were awakened some hours later, when Sav'ran, standing watch, shook them all awake. They all groggily stood up and reached for their weapons, straining to see through tired eyes what was attacking them.

"Look there!" Sav'ran said, pointing to some shapes only a little more than a hundred feet from the fire and moving closer.

They all peered into the darkness, their vision not as good as his.

"Ghouls!" Teraptus exclaimed.

"G-ghouls?" Vincentio asked, visibly shaking.

Teraptus went to the fire and pulled out a small log, burning at one end. He moved to the edge of the light, brandishing his firebrand. "They don't like fire!" he told the others. Cyrus grunted and moved forward, sword in hand. Sav'ran grabbed a few more burning sticks and threw them at the oncoming ghouls. The ghouls didn't flinch and continued to advance.

"Gentlemen, allow me," Xoria said politely, stepping forward. "Desa Inca Absol!" She spoke a mystic incantation, her right hand raised. The wizard mark on her hand, Teraptus noted, glowed when she cast the spell.

Does mine as well He wondered. A light began to fill the area of the forest in front of her, originating where he did not know. He could now see the ghouls quite clearly. There were four of them, and they reacted to the light as if it were painful. Smoke started to emanate from their putrid bodies, and three of them dissolved entirely. Cyrus ran forward and chopped off the head of the last one, ending the threat.

They went back to their blankets. Vincentio, Teraptus noted, was white and visibly shaken by what he had seen. Teraptus smiled to himself. Imagine, the mighty Vincentio, afraid of something after all. He went to sleep.

In the morning, as they were walking again, Teraptus decided to bring up what he had seen the night before.

"So, Vincentio," he began, "You seemed to have a little bit of trouble with those ghouls last night."

"I hate those things," he said, shuddering. "Pirates and bad guys, I can handle. Monsters, fine. But those things…" there was an abstract look of horror in his eyes.

"Problem with the undead, huh?" Sav'ran asked sympathetically. "I don't like them myself, either. A perversion of nature, if you ask me."

"It's not that," Vincentio asserted. "I can handle skeletons, or even shadows and wraiths, but…those things…they look so _human_, but they're not! They still have human faces…dead ones…those human faces…decaying…and walking right at you…" he shuddered again.

Cyrus looked at him. "Did you have some kind of bad experience with them or something?" he asked.

Vincentio nodded. "I lost a good friend of mine to some zombies when we were kids. We were playing where we shouldn't have been, and…"

"Ah," Xoria said, "So now you have a fear of cadaverous undead because they remind you of how you lost your friend."

"Not exactly…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, that wasn't the last time I saw him… He…he came back…as a zombie. The whole town fought against them. I…I was the one to take down my friend."

There were sympathetic looks from everyone else in the group, including Teraptus, who had not meant for his teasing to arouse such deep pain.

"One of the wizards in town…she cast fire spells on them and destroyed most of them…from then on I began studying magic as well."

"Do you have…?" Teraptus began, but stopped himself.

"A wizard mark?" Vincentio offered, finishing Teraptus' sentence for him. "No, unfortunately, I don't. I had to study the spells I know, and I'll have to spend a little bit of time, and/or money to learn any more."

"I can teach you some spells," Xoria offered. "But I can't teach you that undead-killing spell, that one was actually more like a prayer to Ysgard."

Vincentio smiled at her, "Thanks"

"How do you learn more spells?" Sav'ran asked, interested.

"Well, once you have the theory of magic down, it becomes a lot easier. You see, magic can basically be divided into White and Black Magic…"

"What's the difference?" Cyrus asked.

"Well…let me put it this way: Xoria is a White Mage, Teraptus, here, is a Black Mage."

"So…White Magic is helping people, and Black Magic is hurting them." Teraptus said, a note of distaste in his voice.

Vincentio's brow furrowed. "Not exactly, Teraptus, although there are people who see it that way, which is why White Mages are often more accepted into society than Black Mages. It's terribly unfair to assume that every Black Mage out there is evil. I know of one in my hometown who's just the nicest person ever. She always makes cakes and pies and shares them with everyone."

"Back to the point, Vincentio," Sav'ran said a little bit rudely, "we're not discussing baked goods."

"Umm, right, sorry. Anyway, the difference has to do with the way the spells are cast. You see, White Magic is almost exclusively made up of conjuration spells."

"What about healing?" Cyrus interrupted.

"I can answer that one," Xoria chirped up. "Healing spells actually conjure positive energy from a higher plane. When in contact with living flesh, this positive energy has a restorative effect. As I get stronger, I'll be able to channel larger amounts of positive energy, healing more."

"Right," Vincentio said, trying to collect his thoughts, "Now Black Magic, as it is called, is a little more complicated. Mostly they are evocation and enchantments."

"Evo-what?" Sav'ran asked.

"Evocation. The manipulation of raw energy, turning it into some other form, like fire or electricity. This energy usually comes from within, but this can be very exhausting…"

"Tell me about it," Teraptus muttered.

"…but an experienced mage can cast them as invocation spells instead." He held up his hand to ward off the questions. "Before you ask, invocation means manipulating energy outside the self. For instance, creating a fire spell by using the heat already in the air. Enchantment spells are also common, I once saw a wizard put an entire pack of wargs to sleep. And I've read tales about wizards who could make enemies turn on each other!"

"Wow!" Sav'ran said, impressed. "Do you think that I could learn to cast a few spells?"

"Sure, if you worked at it hard enough. Hell, I'm sure Cyrus could too, if he wanted."

"What do you think, Cyrus?" Sav'ran said. "Should we try and learn some spells of our own?"

"I don't think so," Cyrus said doubtfully. "I trust my skill with a blade more. If I were to learn any magic, I'd learn a few healing spells, and that's about it."

"So…you never did say how one goes about learning how to cast spells," Sav'ran said, "you just talked about the theory of magic."

"Oh, right, sorry. Anyway, once you have the theory down, you need to learn the actual incantation, that's very important."

"How do you learn those?"

"Well, you can get them from another wizard, who might train you, or might make you pay them in some way. People born with wizard marks seem to be born with the knowledge of some spells, but even they can benefit from training from a more experienced individual."

"Wizard mark?" Cyrus asked, bringing up the topic that Teraptus had hoped to avoid, "What's that?"

"Well, some people are born with a certain mark somewhere on their body. It usually looks like some kind of tattoo, kind of like a stylized flame."

"Like this," Xoria said, pulling back her sleeve and revealing hers.

"Yes, like that. What it means is…the person with that mark is a natural conduit for magic. They make the best mages, and only they can cast the most powerful magicks. They usually, however are restricted to either White or Black Magic. These people have power that they can't necessarily control, and if they don't train it, or at least accept it and learn to control it, it comes out of them anyway…sometimes with disastrous results."

Teraptus tried very hard to act normal, and look interested in what Vincentio had to say as if it were new to him, too.

"Anyway," Vincentio continued, much to Teraptus' relief. Never had he been so glad to hear the man talk. "Anyway, once you learn those incantations, you need to sort of let the eldritch energy build up inside you, and release it with the incantation. As far as learning more spells, once you know a few and know how magic works, well, the more advanced versions of each spell are very similar to the basic ones, just a little bit more complicated."

"More advanced versions?" Teraptus asked, actually interested.

"Sure, like a fire spell that would strike an area, taking out multiple enemies, rather than a single-target one."

"Ah"

"Let's talk about something else," Xoria suggested, realizing that the topic could go in a direction that would make Teraptus uncomfortable.

Later that evening, as they were all preparing to go to bed, Sav'ran sat high up in a tree branch, ready for first watch. Cyrus approached him from below as the others bedded down.

"Sav, are you okay?"

He looked down. "I'm fine, why?"

"You're not fine. You've been acting a little funny the past week or so. An when you think nobody's looking, you have this sad, far-off look in your face."

"I've been thinking about my family," Sav'ran said, just a little bit too quickly.

Cyrus caught the slip. "Bullshit, I know when someone's lying to me. Get down here and talk to me eye-to-eye, I don't want to wake the others."

"Yessir, Leader, sir!" and he jumped down. As he did so, Cyrus noted that his crystal was on the outside of his clothes, something unusual, since they had all agreed to wear them inside. Sav'ran noticed him staring at it, and quickly put it away.

"What's wrong with the crystal?" Cyrus asked.

"Nothing's wrong with it"

"But what's wrong has something to do with the crystal"

"…"

"Right, I knew it"

"Cyrus…I have a confession to make"

"I'm listening"

"I'm…not supposed to be a Light Warrior…Vincentio is"

Cyrus looked at him for a moment, trying to ascertain whether or not it were true, as if the answer lay in Sav'ran's eyes. "Bull"

"No, really, I…"

"I don't believe you, Sav'ran, and I don't think you do either"

"I wish I didn't, but I do"

"Why?"

"Well…remember when I told you all I was a pirate? And how it only took one attack on another ship to make me sick of it?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, that ship was carrying this crystal. The people defending it mentioned Lukhin's prophecy…before Bikke had them killed."

"That wasn't your fault…"

"It was…but that's not the point"

"Go on"

"I couldn't let that happen. Taking money is one thing. I didn't mind stealing, I've always had a talent for it, and when you get down to it, they're just little pieces of metal. But this was the fate of the _world_, here. I couldn't let the prophecy fail because some selfish pirate got in the way. The ship had been headed for Cornelia, so I stole it from Bikke, and got onto a ship to Cornelia as fast as I could, to give the crystal to the people who were expecting it. But when I arrived and showed people the crystal, they automatically assumed that I was the one who was supposed to bear it."

"Why did you go along?"

"I guess…I'm kind of selfish. This was exactly the kind of adventure that I really wanted, not piracy. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Besides, nobody came forward expecting the crystal."

"So where does Vincentio come in?"

"Cyrus, the ship bearing the crystal, it came from Crescent Lake"

"So what?"

"Vincentio's from Crescent Lake"

"So what?"

"Well…I figure…"

Cyrus laughed at him. "Look, Sav'ran…if Vincentio were supposed to be a Light Warrior, I think he would have showed up in Cornelia with a crystal. He was nowhere near Cornelia when we met him, and didn't the prophecy say that the Light Warriors would show up there?"

"Maybe," Sav'ran said, beginning to feel a little it better, but still not sounding convinced.

"Right, now take it easy. I know you're a Light Warrior, and so do Teraptus and Xoria, that's what counts?"

"But what if-"

"Don't start on the 'what ifs', Sav'ran, you'll just give yourself a headache"

Sav'ran smiled. "Thanks, Cyrus"

"No problem. Now, I'm going to bed, wake me for my watch"

* * *

In the morning they set out again, traveling through the forest. Sav'ran periodically climbed a tree to get a better view of how far along they were. It was a few hours after noon when he came back down from a tree with an excited grin on his face.

"Hey guys! I saw the castle, we can make it there before dark if we hurry"

"Well then," Cyrus said, "let's hurry"

They picked up the pace and it wasn't long before they found themselves leaving the woods. They entered a clearing several miles wide. There were gardens everywhere, overgrown with hundreds of years of vegetation, and in serious disrepair. There was a hedge maze off to the west, but the bushes were long dead, one could easily break down the hedge maze walls. The castle itself wasn't that big, and it, too was in a state of disrepair. The stone walls, once white, were crumbling, and entire wings of the castle appeared to have fallen off. There were several walls that had come down, hallways open to the outside, and the main doors to the castle were off their hinges, one of them completely flat against the ground. As they approached the massive doors, evidence of termites was apparent.

"How long has this been abandoned?" Xoria asked, looking about in wonder.

"Only about three hundred years," Sav'ran answered.

"Then what did all this damage?" Vincentio asked, examining the rubble all over the floor as they walked in.

"War with the dark elves," Sav'ran answered, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "We have to keep quiet now, I don't know if Astos is still here. If he is, we need to find him before he becomes aware of us."

"Where do we start?" Vincentio asked quietly.

"The throne room"

"Should we split up?" Cyrus asked.

Sav'ran shook his head. "No. If we do meet Astos before we find the king, he'll be more than a match for any one of us, we should stick together."

Sav'ran lead the way to the throne room, led by a map that had been taken from the palace library in Elfheim. The doors, surprisingly, were not only intact, but closed. And when they tried to pull on them, they found that they were locked as well.

"What the…?" Sav'ran said as he failed to open the door.

Suddenly, the doors began to open of their own volition. Everyone drew their weapons and prepared for combat, but nothing came out of the room. When the doors were fully opened, they heard a voice from the other end of the throne room.

"Enter, please"

They walked towards the throne, where there were two torches on either side, providing light. On the throne sat an elf with fair hair of about middle age. There were lines of worry deeply creasing his face however, and as they looked at him, it did not appear as if he had smiled in some time.

"Father?" Sav'ran said tentatively.

"Yes, my son?" the man on the throne said.

"What happened here? Where is Astos?"

"Astos has vanished," the king replied wearily.

"Why haven't you gone back to Elfheim, then?"

"It's not that simple. You see…Astos wanted my crown."

"Your crown?" Cyrus said, confused.

"Who are these humans?" the king asked of Sav'ran.

"These are my friends, we are all Light Warriors. We're fulfilling Lukhin's prophecy."

"Ah, yes, the prophecy," the king said, a strange tone in his voice that Sav'ran couldn't quite identify.

"Sav'ran's been a great help to us," Cyrus said proudly.

"Sav'ran?" the king asked, somewhat confused.

Sav'ran seemed to blush a bit. "It's a nickname," he said, "most humans find it tiring to say my whole name."

"Ah, yes, well…as I was saying…Astos wanted my crown. As you know, the crown is an object of great power. It is enchanted to protect Elfheim, and if it were to fall into the hands of the dark elves, then they could turn it's power against Elfheim, and we would all be lost."

"Right"

"Well, I came here to fight Astos, and we had a great battle. To prevent him from getting the crown I used a contingency spell that teleported it to the Marsh Cave, where the old wards are still strong enough to keep Astos at bay."

"What happened to him?"

"I told him that it was where he would never reach it, and he left in disgust, swearing that he would find a way to retrieve the crown from the Marsh Cave."

"We can't let that happen!" Sav'ran said, alarmed.

"Why are you still here?" Xoria asked, a suspicious note in her voice.

"The battle with Astos has weakened me. His spells were powerful, and I will need the aid of the palace physicians to recover. I cannot make it to Elfheim on my own, the forest is too dangerous. But first, you must go and retrieve the crown from the cave! Bring it back here with you, that I might know that it's safe, and then you can help me travel back to Elfheim. With a group of protectors such as you, I'm sure I can make it back to Elfheim unharmed."

The Light Warriors agreed.

"Where is this cave?" Vincentio asked.

"It's right here," Sav'ran said, pulling out the map and pointing to it. "To the southwest."

They all left the castle, and left the king to his loneliness, as they started their trek immediately to get as much of a start as they could. That had been the king's suggestion.

"Why couldn't we have stayed at the castle and set out in the morning?" Teraptus complained.

"I don't know," Sav'ran said, scratching his head. "He was acting awfully strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

It took them another three days to reach the Marsh Cave. They encountered little more than an occasional ogre, but with teamwork they learned to dispatch them easily. Cyrus began hunting for a little extra food, and Vincentio fished in any rivers they came across, while Sav'ran and Xoria collected edible plants. Teraptus, as it turned out, was actually a fantastic cook. This surprised everyone, while the compliments embarrassed Teraptus to some degree. He was further embarrassed when they asked him to cook a meal for them when they got back to Elfheim, when he'd have access to a proper kitchen.

The Marsh Cave was situated in the middle of a large swamp. Xoria despaired of ever getting the stains out of the bottom of her cloak, but the men didn't seem to mind it so much.

"Anyone bring a torch?" Cyrus asked as he looked into the dark cave.

"Simple," Vincentio said, and held out his hand, palm up. He spoke a few words under his breath, and blew into his hand. A small globe of light appeared, floating gently above his hand. As they watched, it grew bigger, until it was about 7 inches in diameter. It floated up and stopped when it was hovering directly above his head.

"Show off," Xoria said, and cast a similar spell that created a glowing ball of light above her head as well. Thus equipped with light, they strode down into the cave.

The floor was flat, and surprisingly smooth. When it was brought up, Sav'ran explained that this cave was only partially natural. It had been carved out in places, and there were rooms and corridors that existed in various places throughout the cavern. The room that they were looking for would be at the bottom of the cave, he explained.

Xoria shrieked when she saw an enormous spider, bigger than her. Cyrus quickly lunged forward and skewered it on his sword. "Thanks," she said, "it just jumped out at me, and…"

"It's okay," he said smiling, "I don't like them either."

They continued on through the cave. It was eerily silent. Sav'ran's nerves were on edge, as he constantly looked this way and that for any sign of dark elves, or any other creatures, for that matter, but dark elves in particular. They found a stone staircase going down, and proceeded to the next floor.

The next floor contained a series of rooms. Vincentio couldn't resist looking into them. Most were empty, as the whole complex had long ago been abandoned. But in some abandoned rooms he found a few bits of money lying about. In one he found an old, rusted suit of armor, and atop it a metal helmet that was still in reasonably good shape. He offered it to Cyrus.

"No thanks," he declined, "you found it, you should wear it."

"I can't," Vincentio said, offering it again, "It would interfere with my ability to hear, which in turn would affect my spells."

"Okay," Cyrus said, donning the helmet.

"You look like a knight," Xoria said, smiling.

"Sav'ran," Teraptus asked, examining one of the walls of the room.

"Yes?"

"What's this green goo on the walls?"

Sav'ran turned to look for himself. "There shouldn't be any green goo…"

Just then a pseudopod lashed out from the goo and wrapped around Teraptus' hand. "It burns!" he screamed. The others quickly went to his aid. Cyrus slashed at it with his sword. It severed the pseudopod, but the ooze seemed unharmed. They backed away from the walls, and Teraptus managed to get it off his hand.

The ooze was on several walls, and it all came down to creep across the floor towards where they huddled on the back wall, which was ooze-free. The oozes collected into three separate puddles and slowly creeped towards them. Cyrus and Vincentio ran forward to strike at them, but their blades passed through with no effect. The oozes crept closer. Xoria tried to hit one with her staff, but her staff just clung to it, and it began to try and creep up her staff. With Vincentio's help, she managed to retrieve her staff.

"What are we gonna do?" Sav'ran asked, his voice rising in panic.

Teraptus stepped forward, his hands held before him, palms facing each other. He was letting the energy build inside him, more than before. He held out his hands slightly. A glowing orange ball formed between them.

"Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!"

He pushed the glowing ball out with his hands. It quickly snaked out, and struck the floor near one of the oozes, sinking in like a stick into water.

"Get back!" he shouted.

They all backed up against the wall as the floor turned slightly red. The oozes stopped, briefly. Then, columns of fire shot up underneath each one, scorching them all. They shriveled into small, crispy blackened husks, and there was a smell in the air like a burnt compost heap. For a moment there was silence, then…

"Hey! Great job!"

"Way to go Teraptus!"

"I thought we were done for!"

Xoria came up to him and embraced him in a warm hug. "I knew you could do it," she said, smiling her most dazzling smile at him. Then, on an impulse, she kissed him on the cheek as they prepared to leave the room.

After that, they decided not to explore any more rooms. However, they had only traversed two hallways more when they heard a strange rumbling behind them. They turned to see a section of the cave ceiling collapse, and upon it, were more ooze creatures! They began to crawl forward, pseudopods stretching forth from puddles of both gray and green oozes.

"I think they're angry about their friends," Sav'ran said as they backed away.

"Umm, what do we do?" Xoria asked, not taking her eyes off them.

"Well…we…RUN!" and Sav'ran quickly turned on his heels and fled they way they had been going, with the others hot in his heels. They could hear the oozes behind them.

"There's the stairs!" Cyrus announced, pointing up ahead.

Just then, a giant spider jumped down onto the path in front of them.

"Keep going!" Sav'ran said, and leaped up, landing on the things back, pushing it to the ground. The others either trod right over it, or ran around it as they ran for the stairs. They ran down the stairs and crossed several hallways before they decided to stop.

"Do you think…(huff huff)….we lost them?" Teraptus asked, out of breath.

"I think so," he replied, and looked around. "Hey, I think we're almost there! It should be in one of these rooms!"

They explored the rooms on that hallway, finding most of them empty. It was, of course, in the last room that they decided to look in that they found what they were looking for. The crown was placed upon the head of a small statue of an elf. Surrounding it were several statues of some menacing creatures that stood some six feet tall. They were, for the most part, humanoid, except for their heads; their heads looked like squids. Each of them appeared to wield a staff, atop which was a strange, faceted rock.

"Why is it always in the last room we check?" Sav'ran grumbled.

"Because," Xoria said sagely, "when you find it, you stop looking." Sav'ran glared at her, but she returned his look with an innocent face and a sweet smile. "Was there something?" she said in a deceptively mild tone. Sav'ran said nothing and looked at the crown.

"Ugly things," Teraptus commented, looking at the four statues.

"Well," Vincentio said, approaching the crown, "this is what we came for." He reached for the crown.

"Wait!" Sav'ran yelled. Too late.

When Vincentio touched the crown, the eyes of the statues flashed. The stone became flesh; a gruesome, slime-covered flesh, and the creatures began to move.

"Now you've done it," Sav'ran said as he drew his weapon.

Cyrus wasted no time and immediately struck one of the creatures. It was a solid blow, and left a deep gash, but the creature did not even flinch, nor did the wound bleed. The rest of them had backed away to the other end of the room when they had started moving.

"Well, they look like aquatic creatures," Vincentio said, and began some incantations. "Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" Lightning struck the one that Cyrus had already attacked. It fell to the ground, dead.

One of the others leveled its staff at Vincentio. A white bolt shot out and struck him in the chest. He flew backwards and collided with the wall. He was staggered, but managed to get to his feet. Another fired a bolt at Xoria, which she barely managed to dodge aside.

"Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" Teraptus fired off another bolt of lightning at the one that hadn't attacked yet. Its flesh seemed slightly cooked, but it gave no indication that it felt any pain. It leveled its staff at Teraptus.

"No you don't!" Sav'ran said as he lunged forward and slashed at its face, severing many of its tentacles. It didn't react, however, and fired the bolt at Teraptus. He was unable to dodge, and was sent flying against the wall, much like Vincentio had been.

Cyrus, for his part, had engaged another one of them in close combat. It repeatedly raised its staff in time to block his attacks. He struggled with it now, his sword held against its staff. Vincentio took this opportunity to swipe at its arm with his broadsword. The elven-made weapon sliced right through its arm, severing it. With only one arm to hold the staff, Cyrus' sword pushed the staff aside and then slid smoothly into the creature's head. The thing fell limply to the floor.

Xoria had closed to melee with the one that had attacked Teraptus, and was doing everything in her power to block the creature's staff with her own. Sav'ran was sneaking around behind the other one, which was preparing to fire a bolt at Cyrus. Sav'ran stabbed it in the back, sliding his cutlass into the creature's midsection. It paid him no heed and sent a bolt at Cyrus. The bolt merely glanced off of Cyrus' plate mail armor, and he only barely seemed to feel anything. Sav'ran pulled his sword from the creature, but before he could strike again, a lightning bolt shot out from the ceiling, killing it. Sav'ran looked in surprise over to Teraptus, and he couldn't be entirely sure, but he thought he saw the hooded young mage wink at him.

Xoria was still having trouble with the last one. It had hit her twice already, and she was close to passing out. Before she did, however, Vincentio swooped in to pick her up and carry her out of harm's way, and then he turned and severed its head with one swing of his broadsword.

"As I was about to say," Sav'ran said, breathing hard, "only someone of elven royal blood can take the crown or else the guardians will awaken.

"What were those things?" Cyrus asked.

"Guardians," Sav'ran shrugged as he picked up the crown and put it in his pack, "They say that those creatures used to a big threat underground, that they were the allies of the dark elves, but these ones were ensorceled, and forced to be guardians."

"Piscodemons!" Vincentio exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I've heard of them. Supposedly there's a big city of them far underground, but fairly close to Crescent Lake."

Sav'ran shrugged. "Whatever, shall we go?"

"Can we get some healing first?" Teraptus complained.

"Here," Cyrus said, opening his pack, and offering him a few healing potions. "Let's conserve magic for the journey home, eh?"

"And pray we don't run into those oozes again," Xoria said with a shudder.

They managed to make it out of the cave without any further attacks. The journey back to the castle took another three days, and they ran into almost no trouble whatsoever. A pack of wargs had tried to attack them in the night, but they had all woken up and decimated the pack without suffering any wounds, sending the survivors yelping into the night.

"Let's make camp here," Sav'ran said when they were about a mile from the castle.

"Why?" Cyrus asked, "We're almost to the castle, and then we can reassure your father, rest there, and get going with him in the morning."

"I don't know, Cyrus…There was something strange about him last time. Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm almost sure that there was a counterspell back in Elfheim that would have retrieved the crown, and he was just a little too cold towards us, it wasn't like him."

"What do you think is wrong?"

"Nothing I can confirm. But just in case, I want us all to be well rested and prepared for the worst tomorrow. If it turns out that I'm wrong, well, we really wouldn't have wasted any time, since we would have had to rest anyway. Agreed?"

They all agreed and went to bed. When they woke up, they went straight to the castle and right into the throne room. Once again, it opened from the inside, and the king's voice beckoned them to enter.

"Did you get the crown?" the king asked, a gleam in his eyes.

"Yes…" Sav'ran said cautiously.

"Give it to me!" the king demanded.

"What's wrong with you, father? This isn't like you!"

"Foolish boy!" the king roared, "Your father is dead, and I, Astos, remain!" With that, the illusion surrounding him dissolved, and in his place stood an elf with jet-black skin, pale white hair, and red, glowing eyes. "Incompetent fools!" he sneered. "I shall take the crown from your lifeless corpses, and with the crown and this crystal under my control, Elfheim shall crumble and the dark elves shall rise again!" In his left hand he held a strange crystal, about the size of a walnut, and perfectly round.

They all had their weapons ready and prepared to attack. Before they could, however, Astos extended his right hand and pointed towards them. The crystal in his left hand glowed. "Fithostratus Ignusioustan Rajakanulka Eklusulshi!" A ball of fire leapt from his extended finger at touched down at Sav'ran's feet. A massive explosion followed, a huge globe of fire forming with them in the center. They all screamed as the heat seared them.

Cyrus immediately leaped forward, but Astos dodged surprisingly quickly, and he was only able to inflict some minor wounds. Vincentio tried his luck next, allowing Astos no respite, but to similar effect, he only managed to inflict a flesh wound. Sav'ran was a little bit quicker, but his light sword only seemed to graze against Astos' fine mesh armor, seeming to have no effect.

Xoria meanwhile, was healing Teraptus, who had probably suffered the most from the explosion. Teraptus, for his part, was thinking as fast as he could, how to defeat this villain.

"Too fast," Cyrus panted, "he's too bloody fast."

Vincentio grunted, and then stopped as he decided which spell he should cast on him. It came to him quickly. "Dodge this!" he yelled, followed by, "Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" The lightning bolt struck home, but Astos seemed unconcerned with the effects, he was already muttering another spell.

"Cyrus!" Teraptus called, halting the warrior's charge. "Come here!" Cyrus ran over to him, and Teraptus laid his hands upon Cyrus. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!"

Time seemed to slow for Cyrus. He watched as everything seemed to slow down. As he looked at Astos, the dark elf's lips seemed to be moving slower. He grinned as he realized that instead of slowing everyone down, he had become faster. He was at Astos' side almost before the dark elf could react. His first attack struck the elf's shoulder, disrupting his concentration on the spell he had been casting. Astos, Cyrus noted, was not dodging so well anymore. He followed up quickly with two more slashes that bit deeply into Astos' flesh and tearing through his light armor.

"Wow!" Vincentio said as he watched Cyrus become a blur of motion and attack Astos like a madman.

"Some spell!" Sav'ran said, equally impressed.

The burst of action had tired Cyrus, however, as he realized that even though he _could_ act twice as fast, it was taking twice as much effort to do so. He backed off for a moment to catch his breath. Sav'ran and Vincentio prepared to lunge in as well, when Astos fired off another spell.

"Idiots! See how well you can hit what you can't see! Feyla Okranos Gamof!" A black fog filled the room.

"I can hardly see anything!" Vincentio cried.

Cyrus couldn't either, but he had been trained to use his other senses in a fight. He attacked Astos again, but only felt one of his strikes hit home.

"It's an illusion!" Xoria called out. "The fog's just an illusion, once you realize that, you can see right through it!"

"Not that easy!" Vincentio called, and then grunted as Astos struck him hard in the stomach.

Thanks to Xoria's outcry, Teraptus was able to throw off the illusion's effects. He quickly looked about the room, and noted Sav'ran trying to creep up on Astos. He decided to provide a distraction. "Hey!" he yelled, "Over here, freak!" Astos turned towards him, and if it weren't for his dark skin, Teraptus would have sworn that he was turning red with rage. He decided to continue with more of a distraction "Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" The lightning bolt struck Astos, but again, seemed to have little effect.

Astos again raised his right hand and pointed his finger at Teraptus. "Insolent wretch! Prepare to meet your demise! Regina Ukyo Bant-" he was cut short as Sav'ran thrust his cutlass into Astos' side. The spell he was casting fizzled, unfinished. He looked up at Sav'ran as he fell. "H-h-how?" he stammered. The illusionary fog began to dissipate. "How could you see through that?"

"Idiot," Sav'ran spat Astos' own words in his face, "surface elves can see in the dark, too." Astos made some strangling noises, unable to speak further. Finally, he fell to the floor with a gurgling sigh and the crystal in his left hand rolled across the floor, stopping at Xoria's feet. She picked it up and examined it.

"Well that's that," Cyrus said, collapsing to the floor.

"What do you suppose happened to the real king?" Vincentio asked, looking about the ruined throne room.

"Dead, most likely," Sav'ran said. "But how is what bothers me."

"That spell…" Teraptus began.

"What was that?" Sav'ran asked.

"The spell, the one he was about to cast on me. I don't know what it was, but when he started casting it, I couldn't move, and it was like I saw a shadowy figure, like Death, approaching me."

Vincentio's brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

Teraptus nodded. "Yes. It could be that it was a spell powerful enough to instantly sever a life. Perhaps he used that on the king and then disposed of the evidence if anyone ever came back here."

Sav'ran nodded, and bowed his head. Vincentio walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Come on," he said softly, "we still got work to do. We've got to get back, now, right? Your brother is the king now, and maybe now that Astos is dead, the curse will be lifted."

"Probably not," Xoria said, still inspecting the crystal. "Most curses need some kind of counter-curse to be lifted. But you're right, we do need to get back to Elfheim, and it's possible that it will be easier to lift the curse with Astos gone."

Sav'ran nodded, and they all prepared to leave. "Wait," he said, noticing something in the corner. They all went over and found a few chests, both locked.

"These must be Astos' things," Teraptus mused.

"I think I can pick this," Sav'ran said, and set to work on one of the locks with a set of tools taken from a hidden pocket in his vest. After a few minutes, the lock clicked open. Before he could open it, he jumped at the sound of Cyrus breaking the other lock with his sword.

"Well, that was much faster," Cyrus said, grinning. They opened the chests to find a large amount of Gil, most likely used by Astos for bribes, and a bracelet nearly identical to the ones worn by Teraptus and Xoria. Sav'ran decided to forgo wearing the armor he had on, and instead wore the bracelet, preferring the added mobility.

They set out back to Elfheim and reached it in two days.

They were immediately admitted to the palace, where Sav'ran told Zacasmus what had occurred, and he agreed with Sav'ran that the king was probably dead.

"The royal diviners have not been able to locate him, which means he is either dead or being hidden by another wizard. If Astos is dead, as you say, then that means that the king must be as well, for they still have been unable to find any trace of him."

Xoria showed him the strange crystal that they had found with Astos, asking if he knew what it was. He turned it over in his hands examining it. "Hmmm. Concentric circles on it, like an eye…" he thought for a moment, "That's it!" he exclaimed. "This must be the crystal eye that supposedly allows Matoya to see! If Astos had stolen it from her, it was no wonder that she didn't help us, she would have been unable to!"

"Oh yeah," Cyrus said, "I heard she was blind."

"How did you know?" Vincentio asked.

Xoria giggled. "Around Cornelia, mothers scare their children into being good by telling them 'Matoya the witch will come after you. With her magic eye she can see anything, and she loves to kidnap bad little children!' She's actually a rather nice person. Xion knew her better than I did, but when I met her, she was actually very hospitable."

"Light Warriors," Zacasmus said, returning the eye to them. "You must return this to Matoya, and as a boon ask for a cure for Prince Erevan! If anyone can do it, I'm sure she can."

"All right," Teraptus said, "But in return, can you make us some Nitro Powder?"

Zacasmus frowned. "Nitro Powder? That's some pretty destructive stuff. Might I ask what you want with it?"

"The canal that connects the Inner Sea with the rest of the world collapsed," Sav'ran explained. "Some dwarves are trying to build a new one, but they need the powder."

"Oh, all right then. Dwarves definitely know what they're doing when it comes to that stuff. If not used properly, it can be very dangerous. Yes, I'm sure that once the prince is better, it would be no problem at all to make a shipment for the dwarves."

The Light Warriors stayed only one more day in Elfheim before setting out north again for their boat. Matoya, Xoria and Cyrus revealed, lived in a cave north of Cornelia. Not only that, Xoria had added, but her mentor, Xion had a two-way portal that led to her cave; they needed only to travel to the Temple of Ysgard.

The trip back to Cornelia was rather boring. They almost encountered another ship that Sav'ran identified as privateers, but he raised Bikke's flag up on the mast, and the other ship turned away.

When they reached the Temple, which was not far outside of Cornelia, they found Xion less than eager to let them use his portal to Matoya's cave.

"But we have her eye!" Xoria objected.

"You do?" Xion said, surprised. "How did you get it? It was stolen from her a few months ago!"

"Astos had it," Cyrus informed him.

"The dark elf?" Xion asked, confused. "What would the dark elves want with her crystal?"

"They also wanted this," Sav'ran said, pulling the crown out of his pack.

"I see, with both items, he would be able to not only see past, but disable the wards around Elfheim."

"You still have that?" Teraptus said in disbelief.

"I…kinda neglected to give it back. Don't worry, I will when Erevan gets better."

"The elven prince is sick?" Xion asked.

"Under a curse," Sav'ran corrected him, "We think Matoya could help if we gave her back her eye."

Xion nodded. "She very well could. Very well," he sighed, "you may use the portal." He spoke some strange words, and his full-length mirror began to glow. "Step lightly, it won't be open all day." They all stepped through.

They found themselves in a hallway in a cave of some sort. There were torched in sconces along the wall that burned with purple fire.

"Pretty," Xoria said, examining a torch.

"Olleh," came a voice from ahead, startling them.

They looked around, but all they saw was a broom, apparently standing straight up of its own volition. It swept its way towards them and a voice came from it. "Yam I pleh uoy?"

They all looked at each other quizzically. "Uhh…we're here to talk to Matoya," Cyrus said.

"Ayotam si ton gniviecer srotisiv won. Emoc niaga."

"We…uh…have…uh…her eye"

"Uoy od? Tnellecxe! Wollof em, esaelp." The broom began sweeping away from them until it came to a door. The door opened for it. "Retne"

They entered the room. It was a large, well-lit room with plenty of candles. Sitting at a table was an old woman with a kindly face. She appeared to have absolutely no eyes, however, and she was fumbling about the table for a teacup.

"Xion?" she called, "Is that you? Come for some tea?"

"It's not Xion," Xoria said. "It's me, Xoria."

"Oh," she said, a smile coming to her wrinkled face, "Xion's adopted daughter, of course. And how are you, my dear?"

"I'm fine, thank you, ma'am"

"I'd love to offer you some cookies, honey, but I'm a bit indisposed at the moment, I don't know if Xion told you."

"Yes, he did, we found your eye"

"You did! Where was it?"

"Astos, the dark elf, had it"

"Can I have it back now dear?"

"Of course," and Xoria walked over to her and put the eye in her hand. Matoya immediately put the eye in one of her empty eye sockets.

"Oh, that's much better! I can't thank you enough my dear! Oh, my how you've grown since the last time you came to visit old Matoya! You're quite the pretty young lady."

"Thank you," Xoria said, blushing.

Matoya looked at the rest of them. "And are all these fine young men your suitors?"

"Umm, no," Xoria said, blushing further. "these are the other Light Warriors."

"Oh, that's right! Xion told me you were a Light Warrior. So, the time of the prophecy has come, has it? Oh, I had hoped that I would live to see it! Sit down, all of you, I'll make some cookies!"

They all had a seat, as Matoya began giving commands to several items near her oven. Eggs materialized and shelled themselves, going into a bowl where they were beaten and mixed with other ingredients without any hands touching the kitchen utensils. The Light Warriors were amazed as the dough made itself and began plopping down onto the cookie sheet and entering the oven of its own accord.

"Well, my dear, since you don't want all these young men for yourself, mind if I have one?" Matoya giggled as all the guys' eyes got wide.

"Help yourself," Xoria said, smiling as she reached her arm around Vincentio. "This one's mine, though. And I'm kinda partial to that one," she indicated Teraptus, "so don't hurt him too much."

"I've got a girlfriend," Cyrus said quickly.

"Uh…uh…" Sav'ran started looking around like he was looking for an escape.

Matoya laughed. "I'm just kidding sweetie, I'm a little too old for you. Now, is there anything that I can do for you, since you've all helped me out so generously. Aside from the cookies, that is?"

They explained the elven prince's condition, and by time they had finished with the story, the cookies were done.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I can help. Curses _are_ a witch's specialty, you know. Have as many cookies as you want, and whatever you don't eat, take back to Xion, you can use my mirror to get back."

As they ate, she went to her shelves and mixed some ingredients together. "Here you go," she said, presenting them with a potion, "This could wake up a stick"

They thanked her, for everything, and headed back to the temple through her mirror. They gave Xion his cookies (which were quite good), and headed back to Elfheim.

Once back in Elfheim, they immediately administered the potion to Erevan. For a moment nothing happened, and then his eyes fluttered open.

"Wha…what's going on?" he said sleepily.

The doctors rejoiced, as did Zacasmus. He turned around and actually hugged Sav'ran, who seemed very surprised at this show of affection from him.

They waited a few days for the prince to recover fully before they were admitted to see him. When they entered the room, he sprang from his bed and leaped into Sav'ran's arms.

"Sav! You're here! I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!"

It turned out that everything had already been explained to him, and that a message had already been sent to Sav'ran's mother in Pravoca, letting her know that she could return to Elfheim, along with a boat to help her move. Erevan then dismissed his doctors, and all servants, revealing that he wanted to be alone with the Light Warriors.

"I have something for you," he said quietly.

"For who?" Sav'ran asked.

"All of you, the Light Warriors. Lukhin revealed that we elves had a part to play in the prophecy, too. I'm supposed to give you this." He held out a strange icon of some sort. It looked like a three-inch thick, four-pointed star with a hole in the middle.

"What is it?" Cyrus asked, accepting it.

"I don't know. I only know that my father told me about it a long time ago. Nobody else in the palace or the city knows about it. Only father and I know. It's a key of some sort; but a key to what, I have no idea. I only know that you're going to need it. It supposedly has something to do with 'challenges untold, and pacts forgotten but not undone'"

"Thank you"

"Now," Erevan said smiling, "do you guys think you can stick around for another week until my coronation ceremony? I'd kind of like my brother here to be present."

"Well, I don't know…" Cyrus began.

Sav'ran nudged him in the side. "It'll take at least that long for the alchemists to make the Nitro Powder, we might as well."

"All right"

They stayed in Elfheim for another eight days, bearing witness to the elven priest crown Erevan King of Elfheim. There was a huge party afterwards, and the Light Warriors were guests of honor. They all each found themselves awarded the title of Elf-Friend for their deeds, titles which they all gratefully accepted. With the celebration over, they continued on their quest.


	3. Chapter 3

"Vampire!"

The town crier ran into the center of town, everyone immediately dropped whatever they were doing and closed up shop.

"Vampire!" he cried again, "Vasilly's on his way!"

"Everyone get to the chapel!" the mayor yelled. "Gather the children and make sure they're safe!"

The simple farming people grabbed torches and pitchforks. Those few that had swords belted the sheaths on and drew their blades, ready to lay down their lives in combat, if need be. The whole town was in an uproar. The approach of evening was always dangerous.

It was quiet, however, within the chapel, and the two that talked quietly therein were unaware of the turmoil beginning outside.

"It's beautiful," the young boy said, brushing his long, wild hair aside. His amber eyes sparkled as he examined the treasure before him.

"It is indeed, young Teraptus," the priest said, smiling kindly. He was letting the boy examine some of the utensils of the faith. Right now he was enraptured by the golden censer used for burning incense.

"There are so many beautiful things here," Teraptus said, looking at the stained glass windows as he always did, with awe.

The priest smiled. He was glad that the young man confided in him. In his presence, at least, he did not feel the need to wear the wide hat and high collar that hid his face. His hair, however, still partially hid the scar on his face that was the source of the boy's shame.

"What's in here?" Teraptus asked, finding a small wooden box made of finely polished cedar.

"That, my boy, is a precious crystal"

"May I see it?"

"Of course"

Teraptus opened the box and lifted the crystal out. It hung on a pendant, and it spun slowly as he held it aloft, the light reflecting off it marvelously. "What is it for?" he asked, never taking his eyes off it.

"We don't know," the priest answered simply. "All we know is that it has some purpose here, with the old faith, and that until recently, it used to shine brightly, almost magically."

"Magic?" Teraptus asked, taking his eyes off the crystal.

"Yes," the priest smiled as he saw the interest in the young boy's face. Then he made a decision. "Why don't you hold on to it, Teraptus?"

"Oh, I couldn't…"

"Sure you can, you've pledged to be an acolyte of this place, haven't you? So it won't go far. Besides, I've never seen it glow like that when handled by anyone else."

Teraptus looked to the crystal, startled. Sure enough, there was a brief glow from the crystal as he held it near him, slowly fading away. He was in complete awe.

The priest's gentle smile hadn't left his face. The boy was so happy to have the crystal; and he felt no great loss at giving it to him. He knew the boy was not particularly religious, but that he felt more at home here in the small chapel than anywhere else in Melmond. He loved the beauty, the serenity, of the church, and perhaps that was enough. I am far too old to continue as priest here much longer he thought. Teraptus will be a fine replacement for the people, perhaps then he will find acceptance .

Just then the door burst open, and the mayor came in.

"Father!" Teraptus said, surprised.

"Come on boy! You need to get with the other young ones! You all need to get to a safer place!"

"What is wrong?" the kind priest asked.

"Vasilly's back," was the curt reply from the mayor.

The priest was saddened, not only by the vampire attack, but also by the mayor's sentiments. Deep down he loved his son, even though he felt hurt by the scar that his only child had been born with. Despite that, he had remained strong for his son, and was, perhaps, a little too hard on him sometimes, in an effort to make him stronger, as well. The priest also knew that he felt pangs of jealousy at the closeness that he himself shared with Teraptus. Teraptus looked up to him as a father figure instead of his own father, and his father felt resentment at that.

The townsfolk crowded into the chapel. Teraptus wrapped the pendant strings around his hand and clutched the crystal tightly in his right hand. He ran out to join the other young folk of the town who were being led to a safe hiding place by Elenia, Melmond's resident white mage.

"Hey there, freak! Forget something?" came a call from one of the other teenagers. Teraptus realized belatedly that while he had grabbed his hat as he ran out, he had been too distracted by the crystal to put it on.

"Hey snotbrain!" came a call from the side of the boy who had taunted Teraptus, the bully looked up as a fist came flying into his face. Teraptus had just adjusted the hat on his head and looked up in time to see his friend Zuriel standing over the bully. "Why can't you pick on someone your own size? Now, apologize!" Zuriel demanded, his foot pressing down on the older boy's chest.

"S-s-sorry," he stammered, and then got up and crawled away.

"Jerks," Zuriel snorted.

"Stop fighting, all of you!" Elenia demanded. "We need to get to safety!"

"We should fight, too!" Zuriel objected, "We're old enough!" There were a few grunts of assent from some of the other teenagers.

"Well, then," she said, smiling sweetly, "why don't you use your mighty prowess to protect the other children?"

Before he could answer, a chilling howl went through the town. A pack of wargs, no doubt under the vampire's control, entered the town from the east, tearing through the streets. Some of them caught the scent of the children and turned to attack them.

"Here we go," Zuriel said, a tight grin coming to his face. He leaped forward, smashing his foot into the snout on an onrushing warg, he then followed up with a flurry of blows that beat the thing senseless. Another attacked him, snapping at his flanks, but he easily dodged aside. He brought his elbow down hard on the back of its neck, and when it turned to bite him again, he gripped its jaws with his hands, pulling them apart. The warg yelped in pain, attempting to escape his grasp, but he forced the jaws far apart, killing it. He spun around in a ready stance, his large muscles tensing, as he searched for a new opponent.

Teraptus screamed as a warg leaped upon him. He felt its weight heavy on his chest; he could feel its breath hot on his face. The he heard a sharp CRACK, and the wargs fell off him. He looked up to see Elenia, a small, metal-hafted warhammer in her hands, as she pulled him to his feet. He then heard a villager scream and ran over to where he could see the chapel.

A large dark shape, like a living shadow, stood before the chapel. The blackness opened, and a villager spilled out, completely white and drained of blood. The cloak of darkness was thrown back, and the vampire revealed himself. Vasilly was his name, his hair black and slicked back, his dark clothing hiding him in shadows but for his pale, white face with two fangs protruding from his lips.

"Leave here monster!" the mayor cried, "Your curse pollutes our crops and you feed on our townsfolk, trying to keep us in terror. Well, no more! The people of Melmond will fight you to the end!"

"I'm sure," the vampire said dryly, a red gleam in his eyes.

"Back, monster!" the mayor cried waving a sword, but he felt his courage beginning to leave him as the vampire looked into his eyes. In fact, he felt all his will draining from him as he gazed into those eerie, haunted eyes….

The sword fell from his hands, and Vasilly leaped upon him. The resolve of the other menfolk broke and they fled in terror.

"Father!" Teraptus screamed as he watched the vampire leap upon the mayor. Teraptus ran out, his arms outstretched. He was running right at the vampire, until he felt his legs grabbed and he was pulled to the ground by Zuriel.

"Teraptus, stop! There's nothing you can do! Just run!"

"No!" he cried. Hen stretched out his arms, and he was aware of the crystal in his peripheral vision. He stretched out his arms towards where the vampire was dropping his father's now-lifeless body. "Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!"

Teraptus did not know where the words came from; they just sprang to his lips. As he spoke them, a gout of flame, a blast of intense heat, seared towards the vampire, who had turned to look at him. Vasilly shrieked as the fire touched him. His cloak caught fire immediately, and he felt his flesh burn. He spat curses and quickly vanished into inky blackness, taking the form of a bat and then retreating to his refuge.

The fire, however, had not only burned the vampire. Teraptus stared in horror as he heard shrieks of the villagers inside the now-burning chapel. A few of them ran out through the burning archway. Zuriel was shouting something to him, but he didn't hear it. One of the stained glass windows broke as people attempted to exit the burning building.

Teraptus just stared and watched in silence.

Women were helped out first. And everyone who could lend a hand to help whom they could, did so.

Teraptus just stared and watched in silence.

There were people still trapped inside, he vaguely heard someone shout as the building began to collapse.

Teraptus just stared and watched in silence.

Someone crying for their mother, their aunt, still inside. Teraptus looked up finally to see inside the chapel just briefly. He saw the old priest, kneeling at the altar as his chapel burnt around him. He couldn't hear what he was saying, but he knew he was praying. Just then, a burning support beam fell from the ceiling, and most of the roof collapsed, making the chapel a tomb for all those still inside.

Teraptus just stared and watched in silence.

Inside the flames, the priest had survived the collapse of the ceiling, but just barely. He felt his chest crushed by the weight of the burning timbers as he attempted to finish his final prayers.

"And may all the angels and spirits, may you look after Teraptus…He has a long way to go, and his journey…will be hard. Guide him…and protect him…until-" The old man never finished his prayers, as one of the statues in the chapel fell upon him, ending his life.

Outside, Teraptus just stared and watched in silence, a lone tear escaping his eyes and trickling down his face. He was frozen in a state between despair and disbelief. He wouldn't have thought such a thing was possible, and yet here, wrought by his own hand, was the destruction of all he had ever loved.

People were crying, or screaming. Some had approached him, having witnessed the horror. People were shaking him, yelling into his face. Zuriel, somewhere, fighting them off.

Teraptus just stared and watched in silence.

* * *

Teraptus awoke with a start, sweating profusely. He realized that he was breathing hard, and wondered if he had cried aloud. Sav'ran slept quietly in the cabin they shared. Teraptus breathed a sigh of relief. Tomorrow they would be heading out to Melmond. They had delivered the Nitro Powder to a grateful Nelic, and the canal was now finished and safe for use. Teraptus was beside himself with anxiety, and many questions plagued him. Would they welcome him in Melmond? Would they still hate him, even though he came now as a hero? Did Zuriel manage to make it back, and was he okay? Teraptus tossed and turned in his cot, unable to go to sleep. Perhaps…perhaps the Light Warrior would be a force strong enough to destroy Vasilly, and return peace to Melmond. Surely they would accept him, then… Teraptus slowly drifted off back to sleep.

In the morning they prepared to head out. Xoria looked rather refreshed, having slept in the captain's quarters, which were the most comfortable. Sav'ran still grumbled, but he knew that she _did_ need her own room, being the only girl. He decided not to push the issue that she could have a cabin all to herself, and that the other guys could share while _he_ got the captain's quarters, but he was not about to begrudge a pretty girl the nice room…especially when he knew his life may depend on her at some point in time.

Cyrus was once again at the helm, and Vincentio in the crow's nest. Teraptus decided to stay above deck, for once, to guide them into Melmond's port. Truly beautiful weather was rare, since as long as anyone could remember, so it was no surprise to anyone that the clouds hid the sun. The wind was good, however, and they made it across the Gulf of Melmond in no time at all.

Pulling into port, they saw that Melmond was a grim town, indeed. For miles, there were fields upon fields of dead crops.

"What happened here?" Xoria asked, speaking to no one in particular.

"The Earth is rotting," Teraptus said in a dead voice. "It's spreading, you heard the dwarves. But it all started because of a curse on the land from a vampire, Vasilly."

The other nodded grimly and continued into town. Teraptus tried to keep a low profile, but he knew it was only a matter of time before-

"Well, well, well, look what we have here"

They all turned to follow the voice to see a young man, looking to be about 19 years old, sneering at them.

"Do you have a problem?" Cyrus asked, not liking the young man immediately.

"No, no, I don't have a problem, but you might. That is, if you're with _him_."

The other turned and realized that he was indicating Teraptus. Teraptus sighed. "What do you want, Kelko?"

"I want you outta my town, freak!" the young man said belligerently, stepping forward. Cyrus and Sav'ran quickly stepped in to intercept him, and he stopped. "Hey guys!" Kelko called, turning his head aside. "Guess who's back? And he has friends looking for a fight!"

A couple of other mean-looking young men came out of a nearby building. They saw Teraptus, and terrible smiles came to their faces. They advanced, brandishing clubs.

"Wanna play?" Sav'ran said with a grin, whipping his cutlass from its sheathe.

Cyrus and Vincentio also drew their swords, their faces grim. Xoria stepped forward, too, brandishing her staff. The bullies stopped when confronted with these deadly weapons, but their verbal assault continued.

"Always hiding behinds others who can fight…" one said.

Teraptus stepped forward, in front of his friends. "I can handle this, guys"

"What are you gonna do, freak?" one of them called. "Are you gonna burn me up? Like the way you burned up my mother?" There was rage in his face now. "Like the way you burned up-Ooof!" He doubled over as he was hit in the stomach with a heavy staff. The wielder of the staff, a young man who looked to be about 18 or so, planted the staff into the ground. He wore a tight blue shirt, and loose blue pants that were belted at the waist by a red sash. He wore a red headband around his brow, tied in the back. His brown hair was cut very short.

"You making trouble again, Kelko?" the new arrival asked, questioning the leader.

"No," Kelko sneered. "Just trying to protect my town from a threat."

"I'll give you a threat," the newcomer said, and, faster than even Cyrus could follow, delivered a series of punches and kicks that sent not only Kelko, but two of his companions, into the dirt. The two that still remained standing backed away. "Jerks," the newcomer said, retrieving his staff. "So, Teraptus…I see you finally decided to return home."

* * *

They sat later in the young man's house. As it turned out, this was Zuriel, the companion that Teraptus had been worried about. He had been washed upon a small island during the storm that had sent Teraptus to Mt. Duergar, and he had then built a raft and returned to Melmond, thinking Teraptus had gone back there.

"But you hadn't, of course," he said as he gave them all food and sat down to eat with them. "You went off to the east, and I wanted to try and find you, but I became needed here more than ever. And then I found out that the canal had collapsed and…well I just about gave up all hope of ever seeing you again."

"It's okay," Teraptus said, "I'm just glad to know you're alive and well. I wasn't so sure, after that storm."

"Teraptus," Zuriel said, frowning, "are you gonna wear that thing in my home? I'm your friend."

The other looked at Teraptus and he coughed, embarrassed. Then to their surprise, he removed the hat and pulled down the cloak. He brushed back his long, sandy hair, and the others saw, for the first time, the wizard mark on his left cheek. It looked like a long, stylized flame that began on his neck, just below his jaw, and crept up his left cheek, with one tendril curling over his left eyebrow.

Nobody said a word for a moment, although Vincentio whistled silently. Xoria elbowed him in the ribs. A smile came to Sav'ran's face. "Is that why you hide your face?" he said. Teraptus just looked at him, his face unreadable. Sav'ran actually laughed. "That's not bad at all. I think it's kinda neat."

Cyrus and Vincentio agreed, and a smile came to Teraptus' face. Xoria looked over to him. "You have a nice smile, Teraptus, you shouldn't hide it."

"Well," Zuriel said, sitting down to the table, "now that that's all settled, perhaps you'd like to tell me, Teraptus, why you've returned."

In light of what the bullies had said earlier, Teraptus finally revealed to his friends what had occurred in his past. He told them about his mentor, the kindly old priest that had taken him in almost as a son. How he had been prepared to be a priest as well. He told them of how recently the Earth had begun to rot, and how it coincided with the appearance of the vampire. He told them of how he had accidentally burnt down the chapel, and then been driven out. He and Zuriel had decided to come east, but they ran into a storm. And then, for Zuriel's benefit, they all told the story of what had happened up to that point.

It was almost sunset when they finished, and Zuriel looked outside with alarm. "We must be ready," he said. "Vasilly may attack now that the sun has retreated."

They were fortunate that night in that he did not, but they all slept lightly, just in case. The next morning, Zuriel offered to lead them to the cave where they suspected that Vasilly made his lair.

"We call it the Terra Cave," Zuriel explained, "Although no one remembers why anymore. Sarda, and old sage that lives over the mountains to the west, he might remember, but no one's heard from him in awhile."

"Are you worried about him?" Xoria asked.

"Not really, he's a hermit. He's always kept to himself, it's just that lately, no ones been able to get to him to ask his advice. We've been trying ever since the Earth became corrupted, but nobody's been able to reach his cave, and those that try do not return."

"Do you think we should try to see him first?"

"No," Teraptus said, replacing his hat and once again drawing up his collar, "whether or not destroying him will heal the Earth, Vasilly is for sure plaguing Melmond, he is the priority."

They all agreed and headed towards the Terra Cave.

* * *

They found the Terra Cave to be some kind of man-made edifice carved right into the mountain itself. It looked as if a great temple or something was just impressed into the rock of the mountainside. Entering, they found smooth, worn steps leading down.

"This used to be a holy place," Teraptus told them. "There is a great shrine near the bottom of the cave, if it hasn't been buried already. Inside, people used to make offerings to the Earth for plentiful harvests."

"What happened?" Sav'ran asked.

Teraptus shrugged. "We don't know. All we know is that about four hundred years ago, monsters started infesting the caves."

"Four hundred?" Vincentio asked in surprise, "Are you sure it was four hundred?"

"That's what I was taught, yes"

"Interesting. The sages at Crescent Lake say that all of the terrible things happening to the world started four hundred years ago."

"What else do they say?" Xoria asked.

Vincentio shrugged. "I'm not sure of any of the details…something about the four elements…that's all I can clearly remember."

"I think we need to pay the sages of Crescent Lake a visit," Cyrus said, "once we clear up this vampire mess"

The others agreed and headed into the cave. Vincentio and Xoria once again provided light. They found themselves in a room with several exits. The ceiling was more than twenty feet above them.

"Which way do we go?" Sav'ran asked.

"Down, I guess," Teraptus suggested.

"Which way is the way down?" Vincentio asked.

"May I?" Zuriel asked, pointing at a canteen at Cyrus' side.

"Sure," Cyrus said, giving him the canteen and a confused look. Zuriel poured some of the water out of the canteen onto the stone floor. As he did so, it trickled down a slight, almost imperceptible incline to the east.

"I'd say that way," Zuriel said, giving them back the canteen and smiling, "That way is probably down."

They went down the passage, and sure enough, found another staircase down. They found themselves in a veritable maze of stone passages.

"Now which way do we go?" Vincentio asked, turning to Zuriel. Zuriel shrugged.

"Wait!" Teraptus exclaimed. "I think I know! It was in my training as a priest. We kept alive some of the old traditions, and there was an old celebration worship ceremony, a dance of sorts, that was called 'The Path to the Shrine' and the steps were: left, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, left; and then you started over. I was told that there were other significance to the old traditions, maybe it was a message of how to traverse the maze."

"Sounds pretty slim to me," Vincentio said.

"Me, too," Cyrus said, "but it's all we've got" And he set out down the left passage. The other quickly followed close behind.

After a few turns, they came across four people sitting around a fire. They were all men, and seemed surprised to see them down here as well. None of them were wearing shirts, and their pants were ragged.

"Shouldn't be any people down here," Zuriel said quietly, frowning.

"Thank the gods!" one of the men exclaimed, coming towards them. "We've been lost for days! Can you help us?" His companions began approaching them as well.

Zuriel trusted them even less. "Get back!" he yelled to the others, startling them. The strangers reacted less than well to his outburst. The closest one leaped at him, changing form in midair into a wolf-like creature. Its companions transformed as well and attacked the others.

Zuriel raised his heavy staff in time to catch the monster's bite with it. He then rolled backwards and kicked with his feet to send the werewolf flying. Another one had attacked Cyrus, but he was ready for it, and promptly split its skull in two with one slice. As it fell dead to the floor, it reverted to human form. Another lunged at Vincentio, but he caught the attack on a small buckler that he had purchased in Mt. Duergar. Then he slashed with his sword at its left side. It yelped in pain and tried to roll away. As it came to its feet it felt something under its neck. Sav'ran had his cutlass to its neck, and he pulled up sharply, slitting its throat.

Teraptus and Xoria, however, were having trouble keeping the last one at bay. It hadn't bitten them yet, but they were losing ground fast. Vincentio rushed over to save them, when Cyrus got there first and took a chunk out of its hindquarters with his blade. The werewolf turned on him quickly, and Teraptus lunged forward and plunged his dagger into its neck. It fell, dead.

They all heard a rather loud grunt, and turned to see Zuriel, arms and chest bleeding from wounds from the beast, holding its head in a deadly lock. He heaved, and the thing's neck snapped with a sickening sound. Then Zuriel himself collapsed.

They ran to him, and Xoria inspected his wounds. "I think he's been poisoned," she diagnosed. "Those things must have venomous claws"

"Can you cure it?" Teraptus asked, worried for his friend.

She was already casting the necessary spell. "Pencha Unyaia Rectif Esuna!" A green glow came from her hands and engulfed Zuriel. "Cantosiol Ulinovska Reythator Extatium!" A bright golden glow came from her hands and Zuriel came to his feet, completely healed.

"Was that a new one?" Vincentio asked her as he helped her to her feet.

She nodded. "His wounds were pretty serious, he'd lost a lot of blood, I just wanted to be careful."

They continued through the maze, but didn't encounter anything more than a few bats. However, at the end of the maze, all they found was another staircase. Reaching the bottom, they found themselves in another series of hallways.

"Any more dances?" Cyrus asked Teraptus with a wry smile.

Teraptus shook his head. "Perhaps…perhaps if we just try and stay to the left we will eventually find our way. After all, there can only be so many passages, and that will help us find our way out easier as well."

"Sounds like a plan," Sav'ran said.

The plan worked, and they navigated the maze. They did, however, encounter some of the giants that were wandering the halls. And they ran for their lives.

They soon found themselves before a heavy set of double doors. They opened with a loud creak, and they entered a dank, dusty room. At the back of the room, there was a large stone slab with a large triangular symbol on it, pointing down.

"This must be it," Cyrus said, looking around.

"Where's Vasilly?" Zuriel said, on his guard.

A large bat flew before them and landed on the ground, shimmering as it did so.

"Well, now," the vampire said as it threw its cloak aside. "I've been enjoying the blood of your people for some time, but I never knew you delivered!"

"Your feeding ends here, monster!" Xoria said.

"Oh does it, my pretty? We'll see about that!" Then he noticed Teraptus. "You! You dare to come before me again? After what you did to me? I'm going to have fun tearing you limb from limb!" He began to advance on Teraptus.

Teraptus, however, was already ready. "Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" The ball of fire leaped from his hands and sank into the ground at Vasilly's feet as the vampire jumped back.

"Missed me," he sneered.

"Did I?" Teraptus said smartly. The ground turned red, and a column of flame engulfed the vampire. He patted himself quickly, trying to put out the flames. Before he could attack again, Xoria stepped forward with a spell of her own.

"Desaré Incantum Absolva!" Light filled the room, pure, white light, emanating from no particular source. It grew brighter and brighter. Vasilly screamed as the light touched him. He screamed again, and then the room fell silent.

Cyrus walked over to the fallen cloak and turned it over with his sword. All that remained were ashes. "You mind letting us have some fun next time?" he said to Xoria.

"That's your idea of fun?" Teraptus asked incredulously, "I'd to see what you consider perilous."

Cyrus flashed his friend a grin and looked about the room. They found, to their dismay, a few other coffins along one wall.

"He made more?" Zuriel said in a sick voice.

They opened the coffins to reveal pale figures, eyes closed as if in slumber. Xoria cast her undead-harming spell, and all of the fledgling vampires were ashes in mere moments. They continued to search the room, finding nothing of value. Teraptus, for his part, was examining the stone slab at the back of the room. There was a symbol engraved on it, that of an equilateral triangle, pointing down.

"Find anything interesting, Teraptus?" Zuriel asked.

"No," Teraptus replied, still examining the slab, "but I can't help feeling that there's something to this symbol. And we haven't found the shrine yet. I wonder…"

"We'd better go," Cyrus said, "There's nothing more to be done here."

"All right," Teraptus agreed.

They retraced their steps back the way they came. This time, however, there was to be no avoiding the giants that inhabited the cave. There were two of them, each close to twelve feet in height, were standing side by side, blocking the tunnel. Each of them was holding a leash, on the end of which was a six-foot long lizard with sharp teeth. The lizards were snarling and thrashing, as if they couldn't wait to tear the humans apart.

Cyrus drew his sword, and the others did so as well. "We don't want to fight," he called to them, hoping that they understood the human tongue, "but we will if forced to"

One of the giants smiled, a smile missing several teeth. "No want to fight? Then die easy. Easy food!"

"We should warn you," Vincentio called, "we just defeated Vasilly the vampire. Just think of what we could do to you?"

"You kill Vas-ly?" the one who spoke before gaped, the he grinned widely. "You must be strong. If we kill you, we be stronger! We be strongest in all Terra Cave!"

"Oh, dear," Xoria said, "that didn't go as planned"

The giants released the lizards under their command and they came charging forward, snarling and gnashing their teeth. The giants weren't far behind, wielding huge clubs. Teraptus, having expected the worst of the situation, was already prepared with a spell.

"Istrae Centa Extol!" he directed it at one of the charging lizards. The lizard slowed, and then stumbled as the ice froze its blood in its veins. Being cold-blooded, it was weakened further by the numbing cold that remained in its muscles after the magical ice disappeared. This made it easy prey for Sav'ran, and the opportunistic young rogue quickly leaped in and cut the lizard down.

Vincentio stood before the other lizard, standing still, waiting until the last moment, until the beast was almost upon him. The lizard leaped at him, and he swung quickly with his sword, which had been at the ready at his side. He split the lizard's head open, spraying him with blood. He wiped it from his face and moved to help Cyrus.

Cyrus, it seemed, needed little help. He easily dodged the swing of the giant's club, and swung viciously at its leg, just below the knee. The leg was severed by the sharp blade, and the giant went down hard. Cyrus was ready, however, and in a seemingly fluid motion with the first swing, spun and delivered a second strike that removed the giant's head.

The other giant, had it any sense, would have fled if it could. But Zuriel had met its charge with a charge of his own. A flying kick to the giant's knee was met with a loud popping sound as the joint was dislocated. The giant howled in pain, but Zuriel wasted no time. He ran towards the wall close at hand, took a few steps up the vertical surface, and launched himself at the giant. He delivered two swift mid-air kicks to the giant's ribs, both of which landed with a resounding CRACK. Zuriel landed on his feet, rolled and turned to face his enemy. The giant had never encountered opponents like this before, and it was confounded. Xoria was upon it before it knew what was going on, but it managed to dodge her thrust with her staff. Xoria's attack was merely a diversion, however, and the real threat came when it moved away from her, closer to where Cyrus and Vincentio waited. They both plunged their swords upwards, into the giant's abdomen. It felt its insides pierced by steel and its life fading away. It landed with an enormous crash.

"I think we'd better go before anyone investigates the noise," Teraptus suggested. There were no arguments and they quickly scrambled out of the cave. Once back on the surface and on the way to Melmond, they planned what to do next.

"I say we go to Crescent Lake," Cyrus suggested, "I'd like to find out exactly what this prophecy entails."

The others agreed. "I can show you how to get there," Vincentio offered, "It's a long way to the east, though."

"Vincentio," Sav'ran said in a pained voice, "The world is round. We're so far west that it would be a much shorter trip to go further west to reach it."

"Oh," Vincentio said, a bit embarrassed, "right. I forgot."

* * *

Back in Melmond, word spread quickly of what had happened, namely because Zuriel began shouting it triumphantly as soon as he entered the gates. They were all given a hero's welcome. And, after the tale was told before the whole town, even Teraptus was cheered on by his fellow townsfolk. Eberk, the dwarf Nelic's brother, approached them later that evening.

"Are you sure that the vampire is dead?" he asked.

"Yes," Xoria assured him, "as well as his unholy spawn"

"That's a relief," he said, "I'm not so sure that it was the vampire causing the Earth to go sour, however. You see, I was sent here from Mt. Duergar to investigate…"

Teraptus held up his hand to stop the old dwarf. "We know, we've spoken with Nelic."

"Ah, so you know, then. Well, I'll get to the point, then. Something's hurting the Earth itself. I don't know what. It may take me a few days, but I'll be able to tell soon whether or not your little escapade down there made any difference."

"We'd appreciate it," Cyrus said, "but we're going to Crescent Lake tomorrow. Perhaps we can speak to you when we return."

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm staying at the inn, you'll probably find me there."

* * *

The trip west to Crescent Lake was uneventful. Vincentio directed them to a dock just east of the town where they could moor the ship. Unlike the other docks, there was no small village surrounding it. Just one small cottage. As they moored the ship, and old man, walking with the aid of a cane, came towards the docks to meet them.

"All right," Vincentio explained, "this guy more or less looks after any ship that moors here. We have to pay a fee and he looks after the ship for us. But we'd better not leave any valuables on board, he's not completely honest."

They paid the old man to look after the ship and headed inland towards Crescent Lake. They had to walk all the way around the lake in order to reach the town. The town, as the name suggested, was near a lake shaped like a crescent moon. The town itself was in the peninsula formed by the lake, and was surrounded on three sides by water, thus being only approachable from the west. They encountered no trouble on the way, and when they strolled into town, the sun made a rare appearance, brightening up the day.

There were a few sidelong glances and some whispers on the side when they walked through town, it was almost as if these people some kind of secret about them. When they approached people to talk to them, they just backed off and went to their homes, closing the doors behind them. They were beginning to get irritated until when they passed a small, squat house. A woman came out to meet them. She was older than they, but not elderly. She appeared to be in her early thirties, and was still quite attractive. She wore a long blue skirt, and a blue midriff top that exposed her abdomen. This was quite noticeable for upon her firm abdomen was a mark like a stylized flame that crept out of her skirt and crept over her abs, the very tips disappearing under her midriff top.

"Greetings Light Warriors," she said, "you must be here to consult with the sages"

"We are indeed, Tatalia," Vincentio said, stepping out in front.

"Vincentio!" Tatalia exclaimed, surprised, "When did you fall in with the Light Warriors?"

"A few months ago," he shrugged.

She smiled. "Well come inside for awhile, I just made a cherry pie, it should be finished cooling right now, want some?"

Vincentio removed his feathered hat and bowed with a flourish. "We would be most grateful, dear teacher"

She smiled sweetly and invited them all in. When they had all sat down to her table for some pie, she sat with them to talk. "So," she started, "how's the prophecy progressing? The sages say that the Earth has already become corrupted."

"How did you know that?" Teraptus asked.

"It's part of the prophecy," she said, looking at him, a bit puzzled. "Didn't you know?"

Cyrus swallowed a bite of pie and cleared his throat. "To be honest, Madame, we do not know very much about the prophecy or exactly what it is we're supposed to do to. That's why we've come here to speak with Lukhin."

"Ah, I see. Well, then, you'd probably better get to it, then. As soon as you're all finished with your pie, you should go to the clearing in the forest just east of the town."

They thanked her for the pie, and set out for the clearing. "So," Xoria asked as they headed for the sages, "who is she?" There was a slight arch to her eyebrows, and the tone of her voice indicated that a wrong answer could be trouble.

"She was my tutor in black magic," Vincentio said, his voice carefully casual.

"I see," Xoria said, her voice neutral.

"Well," Sav'ran said, changing the subject, "I think I see the clearing up ahead."

The clearing was indeed straight up ahead, and as they entered, they found a circle of twelve wizened old men. Each of them wore long, flowing robes, and had long, white beards. Many of them wore strange hats, some long and pointed, and others squat and somewhat lopsided. They all sat on some kind of stools, organized so that they formed a large circle that took up a great deal of the clearing. One of the old men, whose robe was blue with gold trim, and whose stool was somewhat higher than the others, cleared his throat.

"The Light Warriors have come at last," he said in a voice that was remarkably clear for one so frail looking. "As it was foretold, they have come here to seek wisdom from the Council of Twelve."

"Ah," came the chorus from the rest of the Council. There was a moment of awkward silence, and all eyes were on the Light Warriors as they stood in the center of the circle.

"Um, hello," Cyrus said, appearing somewhat out of place. "We've come here…uh…because we, uh, don't know…uh, that is…what…we're, uh, supposed to, uh, do…For the prophecy, that is."

The old man in blue who had welcomed them smiled warmly. "Of course," he said, "first allow me to introduce myself, I am Lukhin. You have, no doubt, heard of me?" They all nodded rather dumbly. "Very well. The purpose of this Council of Sages is to decipher the cause of the plague upon this world. This we have discovered, and it is you who have been chosen to deliver us from this evil."

One of the other sages spoke up, "400 years ago, the Wind howled fiercely, and the air turned foul."

Another sage chimed in, "200 years ago, the Water clouded and became impure."

"Now," another one spoke, "the Earth rots, and this is the event that heralds the coming of those who bear the sacred crystals."

"What are these crystals?" Teraptus interrupted.

The sages ignored him and continued, "The four Fiends of Chaos, hurtled through time, seek to corrupt and destroy the world"

"The four elements that compose the world in which we live: Wind, Water, Earth and Fire. These now are endangered by the Fiends."

"The Shrines hold the power of these elements. It is there that the Fiends reside."

"The Fiends have made of the Shrines vaults of power."

"The crystals, the crystals are the keys."

"Seek ye out the Shrines, and sanctify the altars once again with the power of the crystals."

"The crystals must once again shine with power, as they once did, and shall again, as it was foretold."

"To the Shrine of the Earth, Light Warriors, you must go. There, the Fiend of Earth lies in wait. Seek him out and destroy him. Upon the altar, lay the crystal, and return the power of the Earth to itself."

Lukhin nodded as the sages each finished their bit. "You have heard the wisdom of the Council, Light Warriors. Have you any more questions?"

"So…these crystals…they're supposed to undo all of the problems caused by these four monsters?" Teraptus sounded confused.

"Nay, young mage, the Fiends are no ordinary monsters. They hail from a time long past, and are as ancient as evil itself. Sent here by Chaos, for what purpose, we do not know. Perhaps in time, shall these mysteries be revealed to us. As for the crystals…you must first defeat the Fiend who controls each Shrine, for they have all drawn the energy of the Shrines into themselves. Until they are destroyed, the crystals are powerless."

"Lukhin," Xoria spoke up, "does the prophecy say that there are to be only four of us?" There was a note of concern in her voice, and it was obvious to Teraptus that she was worried about having to leave Vincentio back here in Crescent Lake.

"Nay, young Lady, the prophecy only states that Four Warriors bearing the crystals will defeat the Fiends. It does not say that you must do this alone. Know ye, however, that even should you raise armies to combat the forces of these Fiends, only those four who bear the crystals are of any consequence. Should you be joined by others, you expose them to the dangers that you face, and their destinies are not as sure as yours."

Something seemed to pass between Sav'ran and Cyrus, but Teraptus didn't know what it was. Then he remembered something. "Lukhin? Where is the Shrine of Earth? We've explored the Terra Cave near Melmond to the bottom, and all we found there was a vampire. We destroyed him, but we didn't see any altar."

Lukhin shook his head. "The vampire of which you speak was naught but the servant of the Earth Fiend. His destruction has alerted the Fiend to your presence. Seek ye out the sage Sarda, who dwells west of the Terra Cave. Foreseeing something that the rest of us did not, he forsook his place among the Council of Sages, and returned to his home to prepare for you there. He can guide you. We have no more to offer you, I'm afraid. Go Light Warriors, and return unto this place when you have removed the cancer upon the Earth."

* * *

They returned to Melmond, where they were greeted with muted warmth. Although glad to be rid of the vampire that had menaced them, it was clear to the people that the land was still corrupted. They stayed once again with Zuriel, and the pugilist was only too happy to see them again. They went to see Nelic's brother, Eberk the dwarf.

"I don't know how to break this to you, Young Masters, but the curse upon the Earth continues, and now the cause is a complete mystery."

"Not a complete mystery, Master Dwarf," Xoria said, smiling. And she informed him about what the Council had told them.

Zuriel had been sitting at the table with them, so he heard it too. "I'll go with you," he volunteered. "I can guide you to Sarda's home, and then I want to go help you destroy this Earth Fiend."

Teraptus shook his head, "It's too dangerous. The Fiends are very powerful."

Zuriel smiled at him. "I can take care of myself, Teraptus. Besides, I'm only going with you to fight this one Fiend. I can't leave the people of Melmond without my protection. I'm running for mayor, you know. Helping you guys defeat this monster would almost guarantee my election."

Cyrus grinned. "We could probably use all the help we can get. And I wouldn't mind seeing you get elected here. I've seen some of the other occupants of Melmond, and I like you a lot more. Besides…I always like to see friends get ahead in the world."

* * *

The trip to Sarda's home proved even longer than the trip to the Terra Cave. They approached a mountain range, and there was no visible pass through the mountains. When asked about it, Zuriel revealed that there _was_ no pass through the mountains, but rather, they would have to go _under_ the mountain to reach another valley, and they would have to cross that before they reached the hut in the mountains where the sage Sarda dwelt in isolation.

It was dark in the tunnel, but the light provided by Xoria and Vincentio was once again more than enough. There were no twists and turns in this tunnel; it seemed to be a straightforward hole through the mountain. Sav'ran looked a little nervous, and kept glancing at the ceiling. Teraptus suspected that his friend might be developing some claustrophobia.

"HALT!" came a loud gravely voice from somewhere ahead of them. Sav'ran nearly jumped out of his skin. Cyrus, his warrior's reflexes honed to an edge, had drawn his sword instantaneously. Vincentio was only a little bit behind him on that mark, and soon they were all prepared for the worst.

What at first had appeared to be a strange outcropping in the rock began to move, and in minutes, a fifteen-foot tall humanoid with flesh like a rock stood before them.

"A stone giant," Zuriel said in a quiet voice, awed.

"YOU MUST PAY THE TOLL TO CROSS ATLAS' TUNNEL!" the giant boomed.

"I'm guessing that his name is Atlas," Sav'ran remarked dryly, still trying to recover from the fright he had when the giant had announced itself.

"What would a giant want with gold?" Teraptus muttered aloud.

The giant, it seemed, had very sharp hearing. "NO GOLD! ONLY GEMS WILL DO! YOU PAY WITH GEM RIGHT NOW, OR YOU DIE RIGHT NOW!"

"Well," Cyrus said, shifting his weight a bit, "this is gonna be a tough fight."

"Hold on!" Vincentio yelled.

"You have something?" Cyrus asked, looking surprised.

"You holding out on us, Vince?" Sav'ran asked suspiciously.

"Well," Vincentio said, digging in his pack, "I found it when we were in Mt. Duergar, and I decided to keep it. If we ever made it back to Elfheim, I was gonna have it made into something for Xoria." Xoria, Teraptus noted, was blushing.

Zuriel decided to talk with Atlas while Vincentio tried to find the gem. "This has never been a toll passage before"

"EARTH ROTS FROM WITHIN. GEMS CRUMBLE LIKE DUST. WITH NO GEMS, STONE GIANTS GO HUNGRY. NEED GEMS TO EAT."

"Well," Cyrus said, "we happen to be headed to speak with someone who will help us to end the curse on the Earth. If that happens, will you stop charging people for passage?"

Atlas thought about it. "YES. IF EARTH BE CURED, NO NEED TO CHARGE TOLL. BUT MUST PAY NOW TO GET THROUGH NOW."

"Found it!" Vincentio exclaimed, producing a ruby the size of a grapefruit. He handed it to the giant.

The giant took it carefully, then popped the gem in its mouth and crunched it up and ate it. "MMM. RUBIES ARE ATLAS' FAVORITE. BECAUSE YOU GAVE ME RUBY, I NO WILL CHARGE YOU FOR PASSAGE BACK."

"You're too kind," Vincentio murmured under his breath.

"ATLAS WILL PRAY TO EARTH GODS THAT YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR MISSION." He called after them.

After that, they reached the home of Sarda without incident. He lived in a small hut on the side of another mountain. They found his home neat and tidy, and devoid of almost all furnishings. Sarda himself was a frail-looking old man who sat in a rocking chair, patiently whittling away at a small length of wood. On a shelf behind him, there were several carvings that he seemed to have made. Many were quite good.

"Ah, Light Warriors," he said as they entered. "I see you have some friends with you as well."

"We've come to ask you about the Earth Shrine, wise one," Teraptus said respectfully.

Sarda smiled. "Of course, young one. The Earth Shrine sits at the lowest level of the Terra Cave, but the Earth Fiend, fearing discovery, has sealed up the entrance with the Seal of Earth. Only one with the power of Earth may open it."

"But the Earth Fiend controls the power of earth!" Xoria objected.

Sarda smiled slyly. "Not quite completely, young lady. When I foresaw the Earth Fiend sealing himself away. I left the Circle in Crescent Lake to come here. I descended to the Earth Shrine, where the Earth Fiend had not yet awakened, and I stole a piece of the still-functioning altar." He reached to the shelf behind him and produced a stone rod about three feet in length. It was covered with runes. "You may have found the seal. It would have borne the symbol of Earth." With that, the sage produced an illusion in front of them. There were four triangles, two pointing up, two pointing down. One of the triangles pointing up had an extra horizontal line near the base, as well as one of the ones pointing down. As he indicated each one, the illusions glowed. "Earth," he said, pointing to the normal triangle that pointed down. "Wind," he said, indicating the normal one pointing up. "Fire," he said, pointing at the one pointing up with the extra line. "Water," he said finally indicating the last one, which was pointing down and had an extra line near the base. He handed them the rod. "Touch this rod to the seal, the latent power of Earth still within it should open the seal. And, if you please, when you reach the shrine, do put it back on the altar" He smiled. Then his smile faded from his face and he looked Vincentio in the eye and fixed him with a hard stare. "Now is not the time," he said in a stern voice, "but it shall come soon. Sooner than you'd care to believe, and when it comes, you may find it more difficult than you once thought." Vincentio paled a bit, but nodded and said nothing.

Thus equipped, they returned to Melmond to buy fresh supplies for the trip to the Terra Cave, stopping only to route the pack of wargs that had formerly been under the control of the vampire. Vincentio, for his part, was closed-mouthed about what Sarda had been talking about to him. He would not even confide in Xoria, something that created some distance between the two of them. Then they journeyed into the Terra Cave, following the route that they had taken before. Word had evidently spread about them, and none of the giants in the cave wished to fight them. In fact, one of the giants they ran into fearfully warned them that the lower levels were occupied by cockatrices and minotaurs.

When they reached Vasilly's lair, all was as they left it. They touched the rod to the seal, and it opened with a loud grating sound, effectively announcing their presence to anything that might be down there. The steep stairs behind the seal, led to a level that was less of a maze than the previous ones. Fairly straightforward, they often found themselves in open rooms. It was also eerily silent. However, in the third such small room that they entered, they found themselves in the middle of a nest of cockatrices. They all shielded their eyes from the deadly gazes of the ugly little birds.

They cockatrices looked like a cross between a very ugly chicken and a very ugly lizard. The result was a beast that could turn one to stone with its gaze. They were hideous. They were frightening. And, apparently, they were flammable, as Teraptus discovered when he cast a spell that caused every creature in the room to be engulfed in a column of flame. All of them burnt up very quickly, and they pressed on.

They soon came to a doorway guarded by two minotaurs. They were about eight feet tall, with long horns atop their bovine heads. They were powerfully muscled and stood on either side of the door. "Stop!" one of them commanded, speaking remarkably well for not having a human mouth. "You will not pass! We have been chosen as champions of our people to challenge you to leave this place!"

"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked cautiously.

"You have entered our home. It was the thought of some that we should all try to attack you as you wandered the halls. But you have been proven mighty, as the giants above have told us. Rather than risk losing many of our people in combat with all of you, with your fighters and your magic, we chose two champions to challenge you."

"That is us," the other one said, "You must select two champions from among your number to face us in mortal combat. If you win, the minotaurs of this place will not hinder you at all. If you lose, you must leave this place at once and never return."

"What's to stop all of us from just attacking you now?" Sav'ran asked.

One of them shook his head. "No, if you do that, you are without honor, and the rest of our people will try and attack you as you traverse the caves."

"You speak well," Cyrus said, sounding strangely formal. "You come to us with an honorable Warrior's Challenge, and no true warrior would refuse it. We accept your terms. As leader, I volunteer to fight."

"I will too," Zuriel said.

"No," Vincentio said, looking troubled, "let me. You're not armed, and you wear no armor. Those guys would pummel you."

Zuriel laughed, and Teraptus with him. "No, Vincentio," Teraptus said, "Zuriel here can shatter rocks with his hands and feet. And he's almost impossible to hit unless he's being held or something. I once saw ten men fire arrows at him, and he dodged or blocked them all."

"He blocked arrows?" Xoria said, looking uncertainly at the unarmored man.

Zuriel smiled. "If your timing is right, you can knock it out of the way just before it hits you." He stepped forward and prepared to engage the minotaurs.

"May the best warriors win," one of the minotaurs said formally.

"And may the defeated die valiantly, with honor," Cyrus replied equally formal.

The minotaurs lowered their heads and charged, their deadly horns ready to gore the young warriors. Zuriel nimbly leaped over the head of the one charging at him, while Cyrus took a different approach. He brought his steel shield up before him and braced for impact. There was a loud crash, and Cyrus was driven back forcefully. The minotaur kept charging, intent, it seemed on crushing him into the wall. Cyrus swung his sword at the minotaur's head, severing a horn. It stopped charging and pulled its head up, bellowing loudly. Cyrus quickly delivered two slashes at the minotaur's abdomen. One of them cut into its thick hide, the other was caught on its arm which it lowered to catch the blow. The minotaur then pounded Cyrus on the head with one huge fist. The rim of the helmet cut into his brow and blood started to flow into his eyes. On top of that, his ears were ringing. He smiled tightly. This was going to be a challenging fight.

The other minotaur found its opponent much harder to hit. Not only that, but Zuriel managed to dart in and out faster that the minotaur could follow. Zuriel was heavily muscled, but he was also deceptively quick for someone so big. The minotaur felt his blows keenly, and they were taking their toll on the beast. Its moves became more and more sluggish. Zuriel, trained to regulate his breathing very well in situations like these, had only broken a light sweat. He stood cautiously as the minotaur now waited in a defensive stance for him to make the next move. He smiled, for now the advantage was his. The fight would be over soon.

Cyrus was having a hard time. His vision had cleared, but his ears were still ringing. The minotaur, however, was also bleeding form several cuts, and the loss of one horn made it look somewhat ridiculous. Cyrus decided to give it his all in an all-out attack. He loosened his shield and it dropped to the floor. He swung his sword two-handed, and charged the beast. His first swing missed, and the minotaur punched him in the ribs, he was sure he felt a few of them break. He did not slow, however, and pressed his attack. The minotaur, expecting him to be stunned after that blow, was somewhat off guard, and as a result, soon felt Cyrus' sword bite deeply into its side. It fell to the cavern floor on its behind, clutching its side.

Zuriel unleashed a vicious flurry of punches and kicks at the minotaur. He was moving too fast, however, for it to strike back, but it tried anyway. One of its punches swung wide, and Zuriel used its arm as leverage to leap up and wrap his legs about the thing's neck. He grabbed the horns with his hands, and, using all the strength of his arms and the weight of his body, he twisted and heard its neck break with a sickening CRUNCH! It fell to the floor and he rolled aside.

Cyrus was breathing heavily, but the minotaur was mortally wounded, and could fight no longer. "You…(huff huff)…you fought well," he said, knowing that it would be of some comfort to the beast.

The minotaur coughed up blood. "You as well, human. We will…(cough) honor our deal. Now…finish it." Cyrus looked reluctant. "Finish it! I will not…crawl down…to some…(cough) pit to die like a weakling…I shall die here…in glorious…combat"

Cyrus nodded and saluted his opponent. Then, with some reluctance, he took up his sword and moved to chop off its head, then thought better of it, and moved behind it, and drove his sword downwards into its chest.

Xoria moved forward and healed his wounds. The others gathered to congratulate them both. "Why did you kill him that way?" Sav'ran asked, "It was kind of weird."

"I gave him a clean death," Cyrus answered, "A warrior's death"

"You have our thanks," came a deep voice form behind them. They turned to see four more minotaurs. "Do not be afraid, humans, we come only to retrieve our dead so that we may honor them as true warriors of our tribe." They retrieved the dead minotaurs' bodies and prepared to leave. One of them stopped and looked behind. "you come to challenge the master of the Shrine?" it asked. They nodded. "Very well, then. If you should defeat him, and restore the Earth, you might be tempted to return this place to its former human owners. This cannot be. These caverns are our home now. Should you succeed in your mission, we minotaurs will guard the Shrine of the Earth in exchange for solitude. Are we agreed?"

Teraptus, who had been in training for the priesthood that was the descendants of those who had built the shrine, was the only one qualified to make that decision. "Your proposal is acceptable," he told it. "So long as your people guard it, I'm sure the Shrine will be safe. But should something like this ever happen again…"

Before he could finish the sentence, the minotaur spoke up. "Should this ever come to pass again, it will only be because we have failed to protect it, which would mean that every last one of us would be dead. You would then be free to reclaim the cave." With that, it turned and rejoined its fellows. When the Light Warriors reached the bottom of the stairs a few minutes later, they found the same minotaur waiting for them with a gift. "To honor such mighty warriors, we present to you a gift of some of our sacred treasure." With that, he unwrapped the bundle and presented them with a sizable chunk of ore.

"What is this?" Vincentio asked. He had been expecting gold or something.

"Adamantine," the minotaur answered. "It is sacred to us, because it produces weapons of immense power." They accepted the gift and continued through the passage.

* * *

Part of the minotaurs' agreement not to interfere apparently also included removing other obstacles as well, for the trip through the deepest level of the Terra Cave went without incident. They soon found themselves at the entrance to the Earth Shrine.

As they entered the chamber, they noticed that the walls were all carefully cut away to make perfect right angles. The altar was there, near the back of the long room, in the middle of a raised platform. A large crystal was suspended in the air above the altar, its surface dark. There were several cages that had been set up here, and they all had dead people in them, most of them had decayed to the point of being almost completely skeletal. There was a crouched figure huddled over an enormous tome with its back to them, muttering to itself.

"Show yourself, Fiend!" Cyrus shouted as everyone readied their weapons.

"Who speaks to me?" it said in a hollow voice, turning around. It was a horror to behold. It appeared to be a nearly skeletal human being well over six feet tall. Its eyes glowed with an unholy light, and there was a crown of sorts atop its head. What flesh was left on its bones was white, and drawn tightly against the skin. It was wrapped in a ragged cloak that seemed to be made of shadows, and it radiated power. "Do you humans not know who I am?"

"The tooth fairy?" Sav'ran suggested as insultingly as he could.

The thing had no lips or facial muscles of any kind, so it was difficult to gauge it reaction to that. "You fool," it replied in that hollow voice it had, "I am a Lich of great power, a Black Wizard so mighty not even Death could halt my power! _I_ am the one withholding the power of the Earth! And I shall continue to do so long after I have disposed of you! Away with you, humans!" And he began casting a spell.

"Cyrus!" Teraptus called. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" he enchanted Cyrus to move faster. Cyrus did not waste any time and quickly attacked the Lich. His blade bit deeply into the shadow substance of its cloak, but he had no way to be sure whether or not it has any effect. Sav'ran tried to direct his attacks at its hands to disrupt the spell, but his blade glanced off the bony hands.

"Well," Vincentio muttered, "time to see if studying paid off! Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" A bolt of fire launched from the tip of his sword and sank into the ground at the Lich's feet. A column of flame engulfed the Lich, but its spell was uninterrupted.

The Lich finally finished preparing its spell and aimed it at Teraptus. "Regina Ukyo Bantoyl!" Teraptus recognized it as the spell that Astos had tried to cast on him before. Once again, he felt immobilized, and he saw a shadowy figure approach him, scythe in hand. He felt his life force slipping away. And in the distance, he thought he heard Xoria's voice. Her voice sounded far away, even though she had been standing right next to him.

"Fight it, Teraptus! Fight it!" He somehow found the strength and will to fight back. He felt himself losing ground, but then, suddenly it was over. He shook his head to try and catch his bearings, but found himself wrapped up in Xoria's arms. "I thought we'd lost you!" she exclaimed, and soundly kissed him full on the lips. He was in shock.

Cyrus and Zuriel had almost given up on striking the shadowy cloak, when Zuriel leaped up and delivered a kick to its skull which resulted in its skull spinning atop its neck rather comically. Its eyes glowed brighter. It was now very, very angry.

"Desaré Incantum Absolva!" Xoria cast her spell and light filled the room, pure, white light, emanating from no particular source. It grew brighter and brighter. The Lich flinched back from the light as if in pain. In the light, its cloak seemed more solid. Cyrus, Vincentio, Zuriel and Sav'ran all rushed in to attack it. It flinched back from the blows, and, as the light subsided, it lashed out very quickly with one bony hand, grabbed Zuriel, picked him up, and threw him across the room. When he landed he showed no sign of getting up soon.

"Hey!" Teraptus shouted, angry that his friend had gotten hurt, "Pick on somebody your own size!"

"Like…you?" the Lich sneered in its hollow voice.

"Yeah," Teraptus said, grinning under his cloak, "like me! Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" He hurled the ball of flame at the Lich and it sank into the ground. The Lich quickly began a counterspell, but Sav'ran threw his dagger at its hands. It caught the dagger quite easily. But that prevented it from casting the counterspell, and the column of flame erupted beneath it. It screamed in pain, then, as the flame receded, the Lich seemed to contract, then expand, then contract again. It began expanding rapidly then, cracks of light appearing beneath the surface. Then it exploded into a million glowing pieces of matter, and as they settled, the cages, the books, all of the vials and things that the Lich had done to the Shrine began to fade away as if they had never existed at all. There was a moment of silence. Then Teraptus spat on the ground where the Lich had been. "Jerk," he snorted.

* * *

Healed up from the battle, they all gathered to decipher which crystal was the right one. After much deliberation, they decided that Teraptus' was probably the right one, and they prepared to place it on the altar. First, however, they replaced the rod, which was one of many that slid into holes on the altar's surface.

The altar itself was roughly rectangular, with runes carved along the sides. On the surface were holes that were all filled with rods like the one Sarda had given them. The crystal that hung above it looked like a larger version of the ones they carried, a little more than four feet in height and almost two feet wide at the widest point. It was dark, but seemed to have a tint of yellow. The spot directly beneath the crystal was a smooth, circular shape with a hole in the center of the altar. What exactly suspended the crystal in the air was anyone's guess.

Teraptus placed the crystal on the altar, and it jerked itself out of his hand. The pendant floated beneath the crystal on the altar, looking as if it was going to fall in the hole. And then, the pendant began to glow with a yellow light. It floated slowly upwards, until it touched the larger crystal on the altar. The larger crystal now burst into life, and a warm yellow glow filled the room. The crystal floated a little bit higher now, and began slowly rotating as it bobbed up and down in its place on the altar. The pendant, still a bright yellow, but now glowing like a beacon, floated back onto the altar and fell onto the stone.

Nobody spoke a word. Teraptus silently retrieved his pendant and replaced it around his neck.

"What now?" Zuriel asked, breaking the silence. "Can we go now?"

"Why did you get the crystal back?" Cyrus asked Teraptus. He shrugged.

"If I remember…"Vincentio mused, "The crystal pendants still have some power. Remember what the sages said? The pendants are the key to the power of the Shrines. Teraptus, see if you can use the Shrine to get us out of here."

"I'll try," he said dubiously. He held the crystal in his hands, held it up to the altar, and murmured something under his breath. There was a flash of light and suddenly they were all standing outside the Terra Cave.

"Nice job," Zuriel said, "but why didn't you just transport us back to Melmond?"

"Oops," Teraptus said, embarrassed. "Well, we're too far away from the crystal now to make a difference, let's just hoof it."

As they returned to Melmond, they noticed a change. The grass seemed a little bit greener for one thing. And the flowers, which previously looked sickly, were in full bloom. The sun even came out. As they approached Melmond, they noticed that while the plants in the fields were still dead, the dirt no longer looked cracked and dry. It once again appeared to be fertile farmland.

The people of Melmond had noticed the change as well, and they ran out to greet them all. There was a celebration held that night. During the party, they told the townsfolk of what had occurred. They agreed beforehand to exaggerate Zuriel's own accomplishments to help him get elected as mayor. The way things sounded that night, one would have thought the town ready to elect him unanimously on the spot. Not wanting to delay the people of Melmond from planting their crops, they stayed only a few more days, and then headed out to sea.


	4. Chapter 4

A rotting, decaying hand rose from the earth and grabbed Arthur around the ankles. The twelve-year-old boy screamed and tripped, falling onto the forest floor. He looked around and saw another arm, not too far in front of him, also rising from the dirt.

"Arthur!" his companion, another boy of about twelve, cried.

Arthur scrambled to his feet and pulled his ankle out of the grasp of the animated corpse that was now rising up from its resting place. "Vince, let's go!" he shouted.

Vincentio needed no prodding from his friend. He had already been backing away, and now, sure that Arthur was away from them, he began to run back to Crescent Lake. There were corpses rising up all around them now, but they seemed disoriented, or at any rate, they were not all collectively chasing them as an organized unit. They still, however, made grabs at the two boys as they attempted to flee, several giving chase. Vincentio ran as fast as he could, his long black hair flowing out behind him. He stumbled along as obstacles in their path seemed to rise up. Every tree root, every mound of dirt was now suddenly tripping them, or attempting to. He could hear Arthur breathing hard not too far behind him.

"Don't…stop…Vince!" Arthur puffed.

They soon found themselves in an area of the forest that was completely unfamiliar to them.

"Oh, no!" Vincentio exclaimed, "We can't be lost!" They looked around swiftly, trying to get their bearings, but the sun seemed to have disappeared behind a bank of clouds, and not at a more inopportune time. There was a cry from behind him, and he turned in horror to see that one of the decayed corpses had grabbed Arthur, and had bitten him on the arm. Vincentio searched the ground nearby for something, anything, to beat it off with. He grabbed a stout stick that would make a decent club and swung it at the thing's head. It let go of Arthur's arm, taking a sizable chunk of flesh with it as it tore away. Vincentio grabbed his friend and pulled him away, half-dragging him, until finally, they reached the edge of the forest. The town of Crescent Lake was in sight.

"Come on, Art, you can make it!" Arthur was now very pale and looked sick. Vincentio knew that without immediate medical attention, he might die. He dragged him into town. By the time Vincentio had managed to haul his friend into the clinic, his breath was coming in shallow, ragged gasps. People in town who had seen him running in with his wounded friend besieged him with questions as soon as he stepped outside of the clinic. A panic began to spread through them as he told them about the walking dead that had arisen deep in the forest. The villagers began to scatter, getting weapons ready to defend their homes. Several ran to the house of Tatalia, the resident Black Mage, to ask her aid in destroying the creatures.

It seemed like forever until the physician emerged from the clinic. Vincentio looked up at him, his heart in his eyes. The physician bowed his head and shook his head sadly. Vincentio felt a pang of grief as he sank to his knees.

"Come now, boy, no time for that!" Vincentio heard a voice behind him say. He turned around, and saw his father, captain of the guard, fully armed and with another sheathed sword in his hand. "I'm afraid you don't have any time to mourn your friend, first we have to deal with those monsters, they're already out of the forest and coming towards the town!" His father frowned. "And then we're going to discuss what you two were doing out there anyway."

Vincentio looked away guiltily and accepted the sword from his father. He had been trained to use it, and he was a decent enough fighter, but he really wasn't all that exceptional. His father ran towards the town gates as Vincentio attempted to buckle on the heavy leather belt. The added weight of the sheathed sword at the side made it all the more awkward, and the tears he had to continually wipe from his eyes didn't help matters.

He heard commotion from the town gates, and knew that the battle had started. He ran towards the gates, but the crowd of townspeople who were trying to watch the fight made it impossible for him to get to the front. He noticed a ladder leaning against one of the houses to his left. The owners must have been repairing their roof and been interrupted. He climbed the ladder to the roof of the house and looked to the field. He had a much better view of the battle from here. There were at least twenty zombies, and the guardsmen numbered only a dozen men, and his father. The guardsmen were ganging up two and three to a single zombie, and had already stopped several, but they kept coming, closing tighter together, making it more difficult to single them out.

Movement caught his eye, and he noticed Tatalia standing on the roof of another house which abutted the wall of the town. She spoke some words that he couldn't hear clearly from where he was, but he was fairly sure that they weren't in any language he knew. She pointed her finger at the battlefield, and several zombies began erupting in flame, one after another. Apparently running out of fire spells, she began to rain down lightning, which seemed less effective. However, once struck by lighting, a zombie stopped, seemingly stunned, and the guards were quick to attack these.

Vincentio heard a scream from behind him. He looked back into the street, and saw a nurse run from the clinic screaming. Why she had done so soon became apparent, as another zombie emerged from the clinic. Vincentio quickly descended the ladder, drew his sword and facing the zombie that had somehow gotten inside the town. It turned to face him, and the next moment would be burned forever into his memory.

It was Arthur. His flesh had lost all color, and now held the gray pallor of death. His eyes, once so bright and full of life, were now completely colorless. Unlike the other zombies, his body was still completely intact, but he moved with the same, shuffling gait, as though not in complete control of his body.

"Art?" Vincentio asked timidly, "Art is that you? Speak to me!" Arthur slowly approached Vincentio, shuffling forward. "Can you understand me, Art? It's me, Vince! I'm your friend! You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Arthur continued his advance, raising his arms up slightly. Vincentio lowered his sword. "Art, are you-" Arthur swung at him with one dead arm. Vincentio stumbled back. "Art, what are you doing?" he demanded. "It's me! I'm your friend!"

"Your friend is dead," came a voice from behind him. Vincentio turned to see Tatalia. She was dressed as usual, in a tight blue outfit that left little to the imagination. Her face, however, was grim. "He is dead, and what you see now…is merely the thing that killed him."

"But…" Vincentio started, and scrambled away again as Arthur continued his unrelenting advance.

"No!" she barked. "There is nothing left of him now. All this thing knows is hunger and death."

Vincentio stared, first at her and then at Arthur. He tried to force himself to think that it wasn't Arthur. He raised his sword. No he thought to himself this is not my friend. This thing killed my friend. The zombie lunged again, and again missed. Vincentio backed away again. The monster that bore his friend's face would not stop. He's trying to kill me…_It's_ trying to kill me. The cadaverous thing lunged again. He swung his sword up sharply and chopped off its right arm. It appeared to feel no pain, and the unchanging, dead look in his former friend's eyes dehumanized it completely in his mind. He swung again, this time cutting into its shoulder; he pulled the blade back and began a savage series of blows that foolishly left him open to attack. The zombie, however, did not have the reflexes that a human would, and was unable to retaliate. Vincentio sliced off its head, and it collapsed, immobile. He felt sick.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped. "Very good," Tatalia said, "I know that was hard for you." He nodded, feeling a great lump in his throat. He turned to face her, unshed tears of grief in his eyes. She held him to her and he began to cry into her shoulder.

The town was safe, and within a week of Arthur's funeral, Vincentio had showed up on Tatalia's doorstep, asking for instruction in magic. Wanting to learn everything he could, he also began training with Alhandra, the town's White Mage. When he had learned what he could to get himself started, he began yearning for adventure. He soon began planning with his friends Torant, who was Tatalia's other student (and who had a wizard mark, like her), Regis, the nimblest pickpocket in town, and Vincentio's older brother Bernadine, who, along with their father, was in the town guard. They planned to go on a great adventure. One night, in the early summer of Vincentio's 19th year, they set out for the north, crossing mountains and forests, fighting monsters, and finally entered a cave that they had discovered at the base of Mt. Gulg, a dormant volcano.

* * *

Vincentio awoke with a start. His head was still throbbing from the blow he had received after being thrown off the ship when it crashed. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. He seemed to be in a cave of some sort. A cave…he shuddered, remembering the cave he had entered with his brother and childhood friends. When he had emerged from that cave-alone-his hair had gone shock white. He had set out north again, this time with a new mission in mind…

"You're awake!" Xoria's voice came from beside him. She had been sitting in a chair beside the bed that he had apparently been sleeping in. She threw her arms around him and kissed him firmly. His head was still spinning from confusion, so he didn't respond to her kiss as passionately as he might have normally.

"Where…where are we?" he asked, dazed.

"Cardian Isles," Teraptus said, sitting up in the bed right next to his, "we're guests of the dragons of the isles."

"Dragons?" Vincentio exclaimed, alarmed. He had only met a dragon once before, in the cave under Mt. Gulg. It had claimed the life of his friend Torant. Vincentio was not inclined to believe that a dragon had offered them its hospitality.

"No, no," Xoria said, trying to calm him, "These dragons aren't like other ones. For starters, they're not much bigger than us, and they're peaceful."

"Peaceful?" Vincentio asked, sounding doubtful.

The door to the room opened. The doorway was easily tall enough to admit an ogre. What stepped through, however, was definitely _not_ an ogre. A dragon, walking upright, entered the room, an enormous pair of spectacles perched on its snout. Its golden scales shimmered in the light of the multiple candles in the room. Even with its long, serpentine neck, its head was only eight feet above the floor. It approached Vincentio, who was looking fearful, looked him over, and said, quite politely, "Is he feeling any better?"

Vincentio just about fainted from shock. Xoria, however, took it quite in stride. "He's awake," she said with a wry smile, "but he seems to be having some trouble with the idea of polite dragons."

The spectacled dragon smiled. That is, its lips pulled back to expose it teeth while emitting a slight chuckle. "It is difficult for most humans. I also came to inform you that your compatriots have finished salvaging what they could from your ship, they will be here shortly."

"And then will we be presented to your king?" Teraptus asked.

The dragon turned to him and nodded its head. "Lord Bahamut wanted to have an audience with you all present."

Sav'ran and Cyrus came into the room, looking somewhat tired. "Hey," Cyrus said, "look who's awake."

"Why are we here?" Vincentio asked, then realized how foolish it sounded.

Sav'ran shook his head. "We got blown off course. The strong winds blew us north into the Cardian Sea, and then we got hit by that huge storm, you remember that much?"

"I remember you telling me to cut the sails, and then Xoria almost falling overboard, that's about it."

Sav'ran nodded. "Not much more happened. We got blown directly into some of the dangerous rocks around the central isle of the Cardian Islands. I had always heard that there were dragons around here, so most seafarers stay away from the islands."

The dragon nodded. "It is unfortunate, that our more violent cousins give us such an unsavory reputation. The Cardian Dragons have always been peaceful, and we offer no violence to humans. As you can plainly see, we have facilities to offer hospitality to any humans who do come to call, but that is quite rare. Hundreds of years ago, we had much contact with the human kingdoms. Our peace treaties with the Kingdoms of Man, though much out of use, are still valid, and we honor them."

"What do these treaties entail?" Vincentio asked, suddenly trusting this dragon a little bit more than he had.

"The treaties were made in a time when dragons were much more common, and much more intelligent. The Cardian Dragons wanted peace with mankind, and we made an offer to do no further harm to any humans. As there was very little the humans had that we wanted, other than peace, the treaties were not exactly alliances as such. But our own divinations had revealed that humans would become the masters of this world, eclipsing even the dragons. The treaties were made with the intent of cementing relations between our kind. In the past few centuries, however, contact with the kingdoms of men diminished, and then ceased entirely."

"Why is that?" Teraptus asked.

"That is a matter for you to discuss with Lord Bahamut," the dragon said, "I have kept you far too long already."

They all followed him from the room. He then led them from the cave. As they exited the cave he cast a protective charm over them. "A necessary precaution," he explained, "Some of our lesser cousins also inhabit the islands, and with the separation from the human lands, we have grown lax in our efforts to contain them. This spell will hide you from their sight."

They continued to another cave on the island. When they descended, they found themselves before a huge set of ornate doors. Two dragons, larger than their guide, but not by much, stood on either side of the door. Oddly enough, despite the formidable natural weapons the dragons were gifted with, these dragons wore breastplates with decorative crests and carried enormous halberds. They opened the immense doors. The chamber beyond was lit by hundreds of candles, many in enormous chandeliers. They progressed down the hall, stopping before an immense throne. Upon that throne was what appeared to be a massive, purple-blue dome, with a huge crease down the middle. At the crown of this dome was a six pronged, silvery crown.

Suddenly, the crease down the middle of the "dome" began to separate, revealing that they were, in fact, enormous wings! What they had thought to be a crown were actually the claws at the apex of the wings, held together. The owner of these magnificent wings was a humongous dragon, purple-blue in coloration. His head was bowed and his eyes were closed. The scales on his underside were of a golden color, and appeared to be made out metal. The insides of the wing membranes were of a deep crimson-purple. When spread, the wings were easily fifteen feet wide each, and they weren't even stretched to their full span, just unfurled to frame the dragon's massive bulk.

Slowly, the gigantic dragon raised its head. It had a long snout ending in a beak-like mouth. Its head was crowned with a magnificent crest of horns the same color as the rest of its scales. Its eyes opened, revealing orbs of a chilling blue that seemed to pierce directly into one's soul. It gazed at each of them in turn, and each of them felt the brief flicker in their minds as it took them in.

"Welcome, humans" it said in a voice that was deep, but not overpowering, as they had been expecting from such a huge creature. "As ye no doubt have guessed, I am Bahamut."

Cyrus kneeled respectfully on one knee; the others quickly followed suit. There was a soft, rumbling chuckle from above their heads.

"Rise, humans. For if indeed ye are the Children of Prophecy, your destinies shall be great, and it should be I who bows to you." They all gaped at him, astonished. "I sense among ye the presence of one crystal restored. This is well, for it means that ye posses already the knowledge of the nature of that which is your burden to bear. Do ye truly know what secrets the crystals hold locked within them?"

They all looked at each other. It was Sav'ran who spoke up first. "They're connected with Shrines all over the world. Each one linked to a particular element and corrupted by a particular Fiend…right?"

Bahamut nodded. "Indeed it is so. It is good to know that ye have not merely stumbled thus far by mishap and fortune. The crystals are indeed the keys to the Elemental Shrines. The Fiends that do guard the Shrines are fearsome. Do not take them lightly, though I do think me that ye do already know how fierce they can be." They all nodded. "Fain would I give ye a boon, to do whatever I could to aid ye. But to give such a boon to those who have not proven themselves…such is not our custom. In the days when our relations with the Kingdoms of Men were strong, there was a castle to the east, ancient even in that time, and filled with insurmountable obstacles for the unwary and challenges for the brave. It was the custom of the time for those who wished to prove their courage, be they Dragon or be they Man, to journey to this keep and return with an artifact from within. It was agreed that they must first do a great deed for the Kingdoms of Man, who would then reveal unto them the key to the Keep, where they would journey for the artifact to prove themselves."

"What kind of artifact?" Vincentio blurted out, excited by the prospect of a castle of challenges.

Bahamut fixed his gaze upon him, and Vincentio felt distinctly uncomfortable, as though the dragon was gazing into the center of his very being, finding things that Vincentio would much rather remain hidden. He felt a sudden rush of fear as the dragon spoke again, terrified that the dragon would reveal that which would drive him from his companions' company.

However, the Dragon Lord merely answered his question. "The artifact is ever-changing, and may appear as an odd, seemingly inconsequential thing. But what it _appears_ to be is much less relevant than what it _is_. The proof of courage. Many of those who journeyed for it lost their lives, but some few did return. When they did present to me the artifact of proof; only then would I grant them the gift that is mine to bestow."

"What gift is that, my Lord?" Xoria asked.

"Recognition, dear human. Recognition as a true hero."

"That's it?" Vincentio said, a little more rudely than he had intended.

Their guide to Bahamut's hall tried to hush him. "Be quiet, human! Do not underestimate what can be accomplished by the mere will of one such as Lord Bahamut!"

Vincentio shut his mouth, but said nothing more. The look on Sav'ran's face told him that the half-elf agreed with him, but that he thought he should have kept his mouth shut.

"My Lord," Cyrus spoke up, speaking very formally. "We would gladly proceed to this place to seek out that of which thou speakest, for we do eagerly seek any aid possible in our quest. But alas, the fortune that brings us to thee is also misfortune, for our vessel was destroyed, beyond our skill to repair, and among us we have no means of leaving this place."

"Fear not, gentle warrior, for I have arranged for some among my people to take thee and thy companions where you wish, be it to far-north Gaia, or the sands of the Lykion Desert."

"Would he then take us to this keep of which you spake?"

"Nay, good human, for, as thou hast said, thou art without means to return here. Methinks, moreover that thou art not yet prepared for the dangers within the keep. My subjects shall escort ye to the town of Crescent Lake, where the human sages reside in consultation. For, I do perceive that that is the place to which all of ye were headed when chance took ye here, yes?"

Cyrus bowed, "It shall be as thou sayest, Lord Bahamut. But I do swear that should we gain the means to return, we shall do so with the proof of courage in hand."

Bahamut briefly bowed his head. "That is well. Ere ye leave this place, I would speak to thee and thy companions." He looked once again directly at Cyrus. "Thou, Cyrus of Cornelia; thou art the rock upon which thy companions stand firm, yet thou dost plague thyself with thoughts of thy past, most so upon thine adopted father. Set these thoughts aside, for surely, dwelling too much upon them may cause thy blade to falter when thy companions do need it most."

Bahamut turned to Sav'ran and fixed his gaze upon him. The young rogue looked uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "Thou, Savlas Ferathan of Elfheim; the fears that do haunt thy mind are of naught. Thou may takest mine assurance that they are unfounded, as thou wilt no doubt discover to a degree that will satisfy thy doubts, but in such a manner to trouble thee further."

He fixed his gaze upon Teraptus next, the young mage bravely tried to control a nervous shaking. "Teraptus of Melmond; Thou hast made much progress in thy time spent with these others. But doubts, like maggots that do fester in rancid meat, do still infest thy mind. Shouldst thou fear to bring forth the brunt of thy full power, the ones that thou dost love most shall suffer."

His head turned to face Xoria. She returned his gaze with one equally as steady, her face calm, although her hand clutched Vincentio's very tightly. "Xoria, acolyte of Ysgard; the mystery of thy heritage is buried so deeply that thou canst not even fathom the beginnings of it. But fear not, fair one, for in time, thou shalt learn more of thyself than thou didst know existed, and return to thy true people that which was stolen long ago."

Finally Bahamut looked once again deep into Vincentio's eyes. Vincentio tried to meet that gaze, as if to challenge him to reveal what he could. When Bahamut spoke, he spoke only in Vincentio's mind, and the others did not hear. Thou art pert, Vincentio of Mt. Gulg, for yes, I do know from whither thou dost now hail, irregardless of thy birthright; The time when thou must face the consequences of thy most grievous choice is nigh. Thy hidden mistress doth even now stir. Know, thee, moreover, that howe'er thou doth hold thyself in low esteem, that thou art a creature of will. Fate guides and drives all Men, save those with the will to carve Destinies for themselves. Chaos has spun you into its web of Fate, seeking to alter thine own. Thine own Fate is lost forever, but perhaps thou doth possess the constitution to make a Destiny for thyself.

The others were looking at Vincentio with keen interest when Bahamut finished with him. They would obviously want to know what he had said to him. Xoria squeezed his hand reassuringly, and that brought his attention to the fact that he had broken out in a cold sweat.

Bahamut's deep voice brought his attention back to the front. "Go now, Light Warriors! Seek ye out the Elemental Shrines, and put right that which the forces of Chaos have wronged." With that, he once again bowed his head and furled his wings, retreating once more into the vast dome.

"Come," their guide said, and he led them all out to the mouth of the cave.

"We forgot to ask him about the treaties!" Sav'ran exclaimed suddenly as they reached the open air.

"What?" Vincentio asked, distracted.

"We were gonna ask Bahamut what happened between the Kingdoms of Men and Dragons that caused the rift."

Cyrus shrugged. "I'm not too interested in history right now. We can ask him when we return."

"Look!" Teraptus exclaimed, as two dragons came swooping down. They were much larger than their guide, but not as big as Bahamut. One had a saddle on its back with places for three people to sit, the other a saddle for two. The two blue dragons alighted on the ground and crouched low, so that they could be easily mounted.

Vincentio was about to take Xoria over to the two person saddle, when Sav'ran raced ahead of him, and vaulted into the back seat saddle of that dragon. He threw a sidelong glance at Teraptus and winked, then called, "Hey Vince! Come ride this one with me!"

"I wanna ride with Vince!" Xoria complained. And before Vincentio could make any suggestions about the riding accommodations, Cyrus climbed in ahead of Sav'ran and made plans of his own.

"Vincentio, you're probably the best equipped to steer that thing, so you'd better ride in front. Xoria you can sit right behind him. Teraptus, you bring up the rear." This was followed by a wink in Teraptus' direction that went unnoticed by Vincentio.

They climbed into the saddles as Cyrus directed, and the dragons began to take off. It was a bit bumpy at first, even more so than sea travel. Teraptus, momentarily afraid of falling off, despite the high sides of the saddles, immediately grabbed ahold of something for support. Only when the dragon had stabilized somewhat as it rose in the air did he notice that what he was holding on to was very soft. He opened his eyes; he hadn't even realized he was holding them closed. It was Xoria. He had been holding on to Xoria in a rather improper manner for a few minutes. She was looking over her shoulder at him with a wry smile on her face.

"Comfy?" she asked in an amused voice. Teraptus blushed underneath his robes and let go. Xoria smiled at him again, blew him a kiss, and then turned to face front. Teraptus looked over to the other dragon and saw Cyrus and Sav'ran looking at him, both with ear-to-ear grins on their faces. Once in the air, Teraptus found that he enjoyed the ride, they all did, in fact. The turbulence still made him nervous, however, and he spent most of the ride with his arms wrapped around Xoria's waist. Not that he minded that in the slightest. And best of all, she didn't seem to mind either.

* * *

The people of Crescent Lake were alarmed to say the least when two dragons came swooping out of the sky to the northeast. The town guard gathered hastily, but by the time they were fully assembled, the dragons had already taken flight, returning to the Cardian Isles. The Light Warriors walked into town, their bags full, having removed them from buckles on the dragons.

When they entered the town, the townspeople just stared silently at these outsiders who came riding dragons. When Cyrus asked for the inn, fingers were pointed silently towards a large building near the entrance to the town. As they headed towards the inn, they heard the babble of conversation as the townspeople immediately began gossiping with each other.

After dropping their belongings off at the inn, they headed straight for the circle of sages. When they got there, the sages had some disturbing news for them.

"When you destroyed the Earth Fiend, it caused a disturbance that spread throughout the whole world. The Fire Fiend, who was not supposed to awaken for another 200 years, has begun to stir in her sleep."

"That's not good," Xoria noted.

"Hush," Cyrus chided her.

"Deep within the caverns of Mt. Gulg, she awakens to life, preparing to spread her flames over the whole world and consume it."

"The rotting of the Earth was meant to prepare the way for the Fire Fiend's destruction."

"Should the Fire Fiend succeed, all life shall perish."

"How do we get to Mt. Gulg?" Sav'ran asked. "Isn't it in the middle of a mountain range?"

"I can answer that one," Vincentio said. "Living this close to a river, a lot of people use canoes. Tatalia said she's been to Mt. Gulg via the riverways, so it must be possible."

"Hurry Light Warriors," Lukhin admonished them. "Journey towards fiery Mt. Gulg and defeat the Fiend of Fire before she unleashes her unholy scourge across the land."

* * *

Sav'ran had never been in a canoe. He decided that he didn't like it. It was too small, and being accustomed to the larger ships of the sea, he felt that its shape was all wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling that the thing was always on the verge of tipping over.

"Stop complaining, its perfectly safe," Cyrus said as he pulled on his oar of the large canoe.

Sav'ran, manning the other oar, grumbled. "It just feels weird."

They had been taking turns manning the oars, with either Sav'ran or Vincentio acting as a guide through the network of gentle rivers that fed into Crescent Lake. Nobody had thought to ask Xoria to take a turn at the oar, but after a lengthy dissertation from her about sexual equality, they relented and let her have a turn at the oar. She regretted it almost immediately, but was too proud to ask for a return to deferential treatment.

They explored the river network, doubling back several times after meeting dead-ends. At the end of the fourth day, as they pulled the canoe ashore for the night, tempers began to flare.

"Do you have _any_ clue where we're headed?" Teraptus asked Vincentio acidly.

Vincentio had just spent a long, sore day rowing the canoe in what turned out to be a useless endeavor because of a wrong turn, and as a result was in a foul mood. "Perhaps you'd like to _magick_ us all there, oh mighty mage" he sneered.

"Perhaps I'd like to _magick_ you into something with more than half a brain!"

"Give it a rest, you two!" Xoria said irritably from where she had just sat down, exhausted.

But they did not stop. "I'd like to see you try, I'm twice the man you are"

"A giant in your own mind. Of course, relative to _your_ mind, even a flea must seem pretty big."

"Yeah, well…I think I'll let Xoria decide just how _big_ I am," Vincentio said with a smirk.

"Oh, I see. A pretty girl pays you a little bit of attention and you think you're the center of her universe. Well, I've got news for you! Xoria may not be with you too much longer when she sees what a jerk you are!"

"Oho! So you think you're gonna steal Xoria away from me, do you?"

"Well, she might just want a _real _mage beside her, instead of some phony…"

"Watch it, little man…" Vincentio said, his eyes narrowing.

"…useless…"

"I'm warning you…"

"…pretty-boy…"

"One more word, and…"

Teraptus cleared his throat. "Poser"

"That's it!" Vincentio leaped upon Teraptus, his hands outstretched. They both tumbled to the ground and began rolling around, grappling and trying to hit one another.

"Hey!" Cyrus said, forcing his aching body to its feet. "Stop that right now, or I will!"

"Let 'em at it, Cyrus," Sav'ran said, gingerly removing his vest and rubbing his sore shoulders, "This has been coming for awhile. Vincentio's noticed how much Teraptus hangs all over Xoria, and I don't think Teraptus has ever liked him."

Xoria, however, was already on her feet and headed towards the two brawling young men. She had overheard most of the conversation, and from the look in her eyes, she was not pleased with either of them. It seemed that whichever one won the fight would most likely be faced with a violently angry White Mage.

Vincentio was having considerably more luck than Teraptus at landing punches. They both continued to exchange insults as they fought.

"Weakling"

"Peabrain"

"Pathetic"

"Wannabe"

"Loser"

"Fairy"

At one point, Teraptus stopped hurling insults at Vincentio and started muttering under his breath. Vincentio didn't realize what he was doing until he noticed the flame-shaped mark on Teraptus' cheek begin to glow. "No!" he said sharply, but then felt Teraptus' spell take hold of him. He felt sluggish, and it seemed to take twice the amount of effort it should have to move, and in his already tired state, this rendered him almost helpless. Everything around him seemed to be moving much faster, including Teraptus, who wasted no time in freeing his arms from Vincentio's grasp and began pummeling his face. He got in several well-placed hits before Vincentio could manage to bring his arm up to shield his face. Suddenly, Teraptus seemed to be hurled off of him in a blur of motion. He was aware of Xoria, moving very quickly, it seemed to his side and speaking so rapidly that he could not understand her until she finished her spell.

Suddenly, time returned to normal. He could once again understand what was going on around him. Cyrus was holding Teraptus up against a tree and was in the middle of berating him. "-is one thing, but casting a spell on him! You went too far, Teraptus!"

"All I did was slow him-"

"I don't care! What if you'd decided to burn him, or-" Cyrus stopped, realizing that he had just said exactly the wrong thing.

"Let me go, Cyrus" Teraptus said in a flat, unfriendly tone.

"Teraptus, I didn't mean…I forgot about…" The wizard mark on Teraptus' cheek began to glow. Cyrus stepped away, and Teraptus went to his tent.

Vincentio felt healing magic wash over him. He felt better than he had all day. "Hmmph, he deserves it, the jerk." Xoria said, watching Teraptus leave. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"Yes," Vincentio said, feeling a bit of his bravado come back to him, "it was nothing I couldn't hand-" he was brought up short as Xoria slapped him very hard across the face.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"Xoria, I-" she slapped him again.

"Both of you! Treating me like I'm some kind of prize to be fought over! You may be nice to look at, Vincentio Valentino, but when it comes to women you have a lot to learn!" She slapped him again. "How big you are, indeed! You're no better than he is, in fact, you might be worse! I mean, you're both too concerned with competing with each other to care about how _I_ feel, but at least he waits for me to make my _own_ choices, and _respects_ them, instead of trying to make them for me!" She slapped him one more time and stalked off to her own tent.

Vincentio watched her go, shocked. He looked over at Cyrus, who was looking at him with a gaze that held no sympathy whatsoever. He turned his head away and saw Sav'ran enter the tent he shared with Teraptus, no doubt to help him feel better.

Hmmph, Vincentio thought to himself, Maybe I've been wrong all this time.

* * *

When they awoke the next morning, they were surprised to find that they could see the tip of Mt. Gulg over the nearby mountains. With that to guide them, they made it to the base of the volcano in only a few hours.

"There's got to be an entrance around here somewhere," Vincentio said. The others all looked around the base of the volcano for about a half an hour until Sav'ran announced that he had found it. They had to climb up the slope a bit to reach the ledge upon which the cave entrance was situated, but the slope wasn't too steep, so they had little difficulty.

To say that the inside of Mt. Gulg was hot would be like saying that Bahamut was a big lizard. The entire place was a roaring inferno, and they were all drenched in sweat instantly. They found themselves in an enormous central cavern, as if the entire volcano was hollow, and this was a ventilation shaft. Magma churned far below. There were "bridges" of sorts made out of stone that crossed the chamber at several levels. At the level they were at, they could see a tunnel at the other end of the cavern. However, it was apparent that there were no bridges that led directly to it, only near it, leaving a bit of a gap that they would have to cross.

"The Fire Shrine will be at the heart of the volcano," Vincentio said, looking towards the tunnel.

"How do you know?" Teraptus snapped. He still had not forgiven Vincentio from the day before.

"It makes sense, Teraptus," Sav'ran interjected, "The Earth Shrine was at the deepest point in the Terra Cave, it only follows to reason that the Fire Shrine would be in the hottest point in the volcano."

"Right," Vincentio said, then silently cursed himself. He had almost blown his cover.

Xoria groaned. "It's gonna get _hotter_?"

"Hey, at least you're not wearing metal armor," Cyrus said, and indeed, he looked quite flushed.

They crossed the chamber towards the tunnel in single file, because the bridges were only about 5 feet wide at the widest points. As they neared the center, Sav'ran, who had taken the lead, stopped and wrinkled his nose. The others smelled it as well soon after.

"What is that terrible smell?" Xoria asked.

"Smells like we're in a sewer, not a volcano," Cyrus added.

"There," Sav'ran said, pointing to a rather large pile of feces.

"Ugh," Xoria said. "That means something actually _lives_ here?"

"What would live in a volcano?" Teraptus asked.

"I think we're about to find out," Cyrus said, pointing upwards. Everyone looked to where he was pointing. High above them, there were three creatures swooping down from their perches high on the cavern wall. They were roughly humanoid in shape, with ruddy orange skin. Their heads sported short, curved horns, and large, cruel beaks. Bat-like wings grew from their shoulders, and their fingers ended in wicked claws.

"Spread out!" Cyrus shouted. "Watch your feet, don't let them knock you over the ledge!"

The first of them dove at Sav'ran. He ducked low at the last second, and then turned and slashed with his cutlass. It was almost as if he had struck rock. The blade glanced off its hide, and the creature seemed unfazed by the attack.

"Their bodies are like rock!" Sav'ran announced. "We can't hurt them!"

"We'll see," Cyrus said as the second came after him. He swung his broadsword two handed at it as it came within reach. His blade bit into the creature's shoulder, but it paid the wound no heed. It raked its claws across his chest, but sparks flew as it only scratched his armor. He spun on his right foot, turning around on the creature, now behind it. He swung once again, this time severing its right wing. Unable to support itself, the creature plummeted below.

The third, meanwhile, was headed directly at Xoria. Vincentio placed himself between it and her, sword in hand. Before it got near him, however, he heard Teraptus' voice behind him.

"Istrae Centa Extol!"

The creature faltered in its flight as its wing muscles became seized by a numbing cold. Its blood began to freeze in its veins, and it struggled frantically to stay aloft. Then the ice burst through its skin, and spread, forming a solid block between its shoulders. Now unable to move its wings at all, it plummeted to the magma far below. Vincentio threw Teraptus a dirty look, but said nothing.

Then there was a scream from up ahead. The first of the creatures had grabbed Sav'ran by the shoulders and was carrying him away. He screamed again as its claws bit into his shoulders. It began flying higher, towards its aerie high on the far wall. The others immediately gave chase, running along the stone bridge. Vincentio, wearing less armor than Cyrus, pulled ahead. He leaped across the gap to the ledge with the tunnel, now almost underneath the monster. The others followed suit.

Sav'ran painfully reached up and slashed at the monster's wing membranes. Unable to get any lift from flapping its wings, it crashed into the wall, and fell to the ledge below. It let go of Sav'ran first, however, and he was quick to roll out of the way as soon as he landed. The creature came crashing down after him, and Cyrus and Vincentio fell upon it with their swords, making short work of it.

"Guess you're not the only hotshot," Vincentio said to Teraptus with a smirk.

"Okay, that is it!" Xoria said. Everyone looked at her in surprise. "I want you two to stop this garbage right now! Our lives all depend on one another right now, and you two need to stop this testosterone nonsense and cooperate! Do I make myself clear?" Vincentio and Teraptus nodded dumbly. "Good," she said, "now shake hands, and let's move on." Vincentio and Teraptus reluctantly shook hands.

Xoria healed Sav'ran's wounds, and they entered the tunnel. It formed a spiral with a sharp incline down, they had to step carefully, or it would easily become a slide, and they didn't want to lose control with all that molten lava beneath them. They found themselves once again in the central "vent" shaft, this time on a lower level. There was only one bridge crossing this level, and it appeared to be occupied. One of the winged creatures from above, this one missing a wing, was struggling to its feet.

"Unfinished business," Cyrus said. He drew his sword and charged towards the thing. It attempted to claw and bite him, but his armor protected him too well. His own blows, however, were far more effective, and soon the creature was dead. He kicked its lifeless corpse over the edge, this time making sure it fell into the lava below.

Entering the tunnel at the other end, they found it to be another spiral sharply going down. It became almost unbearably hot as they progressed, and the reason soon became apparent. In the middle of the tunnel, there was a "waterfall" of molten lava, falling from the ceiling into a fissure in the floor of the tunnel.

That's odd Vincentio thought that wasn't here the last time.

"We have to cross," Cyrus said simply.

"How are we supposed to cross that?" Teraptus sputtered.

"I can cast a spell that will protect us from the heat and flame somewhat" Xoria said.

"How much is somewhat?" Sav'ran asked, nervously eyeing the lava.

"Not completely," she answered, "so we're gonna have to move fast, and even then, we'll get a little burned, but we _will_ make it through alive. We can heal up once we get across."

"Sounds like a plan," Cyrus said.

"What if one of us _doesn't_ make it?" Sav'ran asked, increasingly nervous.

"Of course we'll make it," Xoria said, "we're the Light Warriors, we've got prophecy on our side."

"But only four of use are Light Warriors" Sav'ran countered.

"But why are _you_ worried?" Teraptus asked. "Vincentio's the one who's not a Light Warrior, you're fine."

Sav'ran's face fell. "Maybe not," he said quietly.

"What?" Xoria asked, shocked.

Sav'ran took a deep breath. "I stole my crystal," he said.

"What?" Teraptus said in disbelief.

"The crystal was on a ship bound for Cornelia…from Crescent Lake. I was still the bo'sun on Bikke's ship at the time. Usually when we took a merchant vessel, the sailors all turned over the cargo to spare their lives. We'd take it all and leave them be. But this crew put up a fight." His voice grew softer. "They were willing to die to protect their cargo, and die they did." The others looked at him, fairly horrified. "I was reluctant to kill anyone, but I had to defend myself. I had no choice. Bikke and I cornered the captain of the ship, who had the crystal in a box under his arm. He told us that it _must_ get to Cornelia. That it was integral to the prophecy to save the world. Bikke laughed and ran him through. After that, he wore the crystal around his neck while on deck, as if it were some kind of trophy. I felt horrible for what I had done. Not only the deaths, but that Bikke had taken the crystal. I refused to let the world suffer because of one ignorant man's greed. When we docked in Pravoca, I stole the crystal from Bikke in his sleep. Then I stowed away on a cargo ship headed towards Cornelia. Before I could explain why I had the crystal, the people at the docks hailed me as a Light Warrior, and took me before the king. The rest you guys already know."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Xoria asked.

"Because it was such a grand adventure. And then I started believing that I _was_ a Light Warrior. Then we met Vincentio here, who happened to be from Crescent Lake, and I put it all together. Vincentio's the fourth Light Warrior, not me." Sav'ran removed the crystal from around his neck and held it out to Vincentio. "Take it, Vince. So if something happens to me, then at least you guys can activate the rest of the altars."

"This is pretty extreme Sav, are you sure?" Vincentio asked, reluctantly accepting the crystal.

"I'm sure. But…do you guys mind if I stick around as long as I can?"

"Hold on, Sav," Cyrus interjected. "I told you before that you were being ridiculous, and I stand by that. And by you. Nothing against you, Vincentio, but I believe Sav'ran is the Light Warrior."

Before Sav'ran could respond, an earthquake shook the volcano, and the ceiling above them began to shake loose.

"No time!" Xoria shouted. "Nulregh Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" A red, glowing nimbus surrounded them all. "Now go! Go!"

They ran through the lava, feeling as if they had just plunged their bodies into red-hot coals. And they all tripped on rocks that they had not been able to see, and they tumbled the rest of the way down the tunnel. And so, battered, bruised, and rather badly burned, they made it to the bottom.

Rather than use Xoria and Vincentio's magic, Cyrus opted to use up some of the potions he was carrying around. By the time they all felt better, their supply was seriously diminished, but better, Cyrus reasoned, than using magic that could be more versatile in times of need.

They were now, it seemed on the bottom level of the volcano. The stone bridges formed a causeway that rose up out of the lava only about twelve feet or so. There were also several tunnels in several directions all around the place.

"Which way do we go?" Teraptus asked.

"Well, the logical way would be to pick a direction and stick to it," Sav'ran said. "As in, take a left at every turn, or a right. We'll get where we're going eventually."

"So which way?" Xoria asked.

"How about left?" Vincentio said, and immediately started down the path to their left. The others had just begun to follow, when another earthquake rumbled through the cavern. Huge rocks fell from above, splashing into the lava, and the stone beneath Vincentio's feet began to crumble. He turned and ran back towards the others, but the stone collapsed into the lava.

"Vincentio!" Cyrus cried out, almost leaping in after him.

"Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" Teraptus aimed his spell, not at his rival, but at the molten lava beneath his falling body. Ice began forming in the lava, and then immediately melting and evaporating, forming a column of steam that rose into the air, lifting the falling warrior. Vincentio, thinking quickly, grabbed the edges of his cloak to catch the air, providing more lift. He would have sailed right over his companions, but that Cyrus, holding Xoria's staff out at full length, had enough reach that Vincentio could grab on. Once outside the steam column, Vincentio immediately fell, landing against the rock beneath Cyrus' feet. Cyrus began hauling up on the staff to bring Vincentio up. Vincentio, meanwhile, could do nothing but hold on for dear life.

"What's that?" Sav'ran asked in alarm, pointing down. Vincentio looked down, then wished that he hadn't.

A gaping, lizardlike maw was rising up out of the magma towards him. Cyrus swore and tried to haul him up faster.

"Istrae Centa Extol!" Teraptus cast the spell right beneath Vincentio, forming a solid block of ice that fell into the creature's open mouth, filling it completely and preventing it from biting down. There was a muffled roar from below, and then four more serpentine heads rose out of the lava, snarling and snapping.

"A hydra!" Sav'ran exclaimed.

"Can we worry about what it is later?" Vincentio yelled.

Cyrus swore again. Vincentio was almost to the top of the ledge. Then one of the heads lunged forwards and grabbed Vincentio by the legs, pulling him away from Cyrus. Cyrus dug in his heels and began a tug-of-war match over Vincentio with one of the beast's heads. As the head pulled on him, Vincentio could feel himself being stretched past his limits. He screamed in pain.

"Do something!" Xoria shouted.

"I can't!" Cyrus protested.

"Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Terapstus chanted, the words springing, unbidden, into his mind. Several bolts of lightning emerged from his fingertips, and sent great jolts of electricity through several of the hydra's heads. Exhausted from the spellcasting, Teraptus collapsed to the floor. The hydra screamed, and one head lunged towards Teraptus.

Sav'ran, at the ready, lashed out with his cutlass at the heads as it moved in towards Teraptus. He tore the monster's left eye from that head. It screamed in pain, and he stepped in, under it's head, and sliced open its throat.

With one head now down, and two other with occupied mouths, the hydra now only has 2 heads available to strike its other assailants. Both of which now focused on Cyrus, who was keeping the thing from its meal. Then one of them opened its mouth and unleashed a great gout of flame that enveloped them all. Fortunately, Xoria's protective ward was still in place, and they all received only minor burns. The other head reared back in preparation to strike.

"No you don't!" Sav'ran cried, and leaped across the gap to land on the beast's back.

"Sav'ran!" Teraptus cried. Sav'ran paid him no heed and began slashing at the hydra's necks.

"Sav'ran, watch out!" Xoria shouted, as the young thief plunged his cutlass down, straight into the monster's chest, above the collarbone. His blade sunk deep, severing the main blood vessel to the creature's heads. The mouth holding Vincentio let go, and all of the heads screamed in unison. Blood spurted out from the wound, and with a gurgling sigh, it began sinking back into the lava.

"Save him!" Xoria cried to Teraptus.

"I can't!" he wailed, unable to do so much as rise from the floor.

Sav'ran leaped once again. However, a sinking hydra was much less even footing than rock, and he did not have the momentum he did on the previous jump. He was going to fall short, and he knew it, even as he leaped.

Vincentio, watching all this, and still in pain from being nearly torn in two, made his Choice. Releasing his right hand from the staff, he jerked down hard with his left. Cyrus, unprepared for the sudden jolt, let it slip between his hands, but caught it before it fell all the way. Vincentio pushed away from the wall with his legs as he did so, reaching out with his right hand.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed as he managed to grab Sav'ran's flailing arm by the wrist. Sav'ran quickly grabbed his arm as well, and they slammed back into the cliff, Sav'ran's feet mere inches from the lava.

Cyrus grunted under the additional weight, but managed to pull them both up to safety. They crawled onto the ledge, gasping for air. Xoria immediately flew into Vincentio's arms.

"Oh, thank Ysgard you're safe!" she almost sobbed. Then she turned to Sav'ran. "And you! You scared me half to death! You guys are gonna give me a head of gray hairs before I'm 20!"

Vincentio laughed weakly, and she helped him to his feet, giving him a potion as she did so. To everyone's surprise, he pushed her away gently, standing on his own, and walked over to Teraptus.

"You saved my life," he said, with an almost puzzled expression on his face. "You could've let me fall. Xoria would have been all yours, but you saved me. Twice, even."

"Well…I…" Teraptus began. Everyone was looking at him now. "Xoria, she…she would have never forgiven me if I'd let you die."

"I never would have known," she said. "If you hadn't saved him, I never would have known that you could have."

"You acted faster than any of us, Ter," Sav'ran said. "We we're all kind of in shock, but you thought quickly enough to cast that spell."

"And it was brilliant, too," Cyrus added. "I don't know how you thought of a steam column."

Teraptus looked down, somewhat ashamed. "The steam column was an accident. I…I was trying to cool the lava down so he'd land safely."

Sav'ran laughed. "Whatever, man. Like I keep trying to tell you, it's the results that matter, and you did what you intended to do, you saved him."

Vincentio extended his hand to Teraptus, this time with a warm smile on his face. Teraptus clasped his arm in his own. When they broke, Xoria approached him, took Teraptus' face in both hands and kissed him soundly on the lips.

"All right, don't get carried away now," Vincentio said, but he was smiling.

"Let's get out of this furnace already, eh?" Cyrus suggested.

"And this time, we take the right path" Sav'ran added.

"Wait guys…" Vincentio began. "There's something you all should know" It's time to come clean he thought.

"Can't it wait?" Sav'ran asked.

"Yeah, right now I feel like I could take on 10 Fire Fiends" Teraptus said.

"Let's wait until we're done here, eh?" Xoria said, smiling at him.

"C'mon guys" Cyrus said, and started down the path to the right of the one they entered in. There was a dark tunnel at the end, but Vincentio and Xoria were once again able to provide adequate light. The tunnel was rather long, with several turns.

"I have a bad feeling about this tunnel" Vincentio whispered.

From up ahead, a soft, deep rumbling began to sound. As they turned the corner into a large chamber the source became apparent. The chamber was lit from above by a hole in the ceiling that formed a sort of natural skylight. The light shone upon a huge heap of what could only be called treasure. Gold, jewels, armor, weapons, and valuables of all kinds were heaped in the center of the room. And upon all of them was the source of the rumbling, sleeping soundly.

"A dragon!" Cyrus whispered in awe.

"Okay, we're leaving now," Sav'ran said quietly, and headed for the exit.

"I second the motion," Vincentio replied softly, "dragons are bad news."

"We can take it," Cyrus said confidently.

"Are you _insane_?" Teraptus hissed. "You're talking about a dragon!"

"Right, and Garland defeated a dragon years ago _by himself_. And I defeated Garland. I have to know. I have to know I can do what he did."

Sav'ran turned to Xoria. "Talk some sense into him."

"I say we fight," Xoria said quietly.

"You're just as crazy as he is!"

"Dragons like that one are the reason I'm an orphan!" she snapped. "My parents are dead because of a dragon just like that one, and I want my revenge!" Everyone was a bit shocked. This was a side of Xoria they had never seen before.

"All right, I'm in" Vincentio said.

Sav'ran groaned. "You too?"

"I lost a friend to _this_ dragon years ago. I can't let that go."

"That's 3 against 2, we win!" Cyrus said with a grin.

"I think the vote just became moot," Teraptus said, pointing to the dragon, which had woken up and was now orienting on the intruders to its lair.

"Something tells me magic won't be much good against this thing" Teraptus said.

"Torant found that out the hard way" Vincentio said, drawing his sword with a grim expression on his face.

Teraptus raised his hands towards Cyrus. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!"

Xoria also chanted a spell. "Nulregh Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!"

Thus protected from the dragon's breath, they charged forward into the jaws of destiny.

* * *

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Cyrus commented, finishing cleaning his blade on a scrap of cloth.

"You call that easy?" Vincentio demanded, treating a bite on his leg.

"Well, it did seem quite taken aback at _us_ charging _it_," Sav'ran noted.

Xoria shrugged, finished healing Teraptus and moved on to Vincentio.

"We're all filthy rich, now, you realize that?" Vincentio pointed out.

"There's no way we could get all of this out of here," Cyrus said.

"But we could take quite a bit of it, couldn't we?" Sav'ran asked hopefully.

Cyrus laughed, "Sure"

They took what treasure they could, mostly in gems and other compact, valuable items, and returned to the central chamber of the volcano. They turned right again, following another long tunnel. They soon found themselves passing through an archway that looked very similar to the Earth Shrine, but instead of downward pointing triangles, there were upward pointing ones, with an extra line near the base. The symbol of Fire.

* * *

"Is that it?" Teraptus asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

They were staring at an enormous orb, deep red in hue. It radiated energy, even in the heat of the chamber, they could see waves of energy coming from the orb.

Suddenly a voice came from the orb.

"The Earth Fiend is gone…"

Cyrus drew his sword. "Yes, monster, and we destroyed it! Come out and face us, and we will send you to the same fate!"

The orb ignored him. "Who disturbs Marilith's slumber? Minion? Have you come? Is your task complete?"

Vincentio stepped forwards. "No. And it will never be complete. I reject you, foul creature! You shall this day join your loathsome companion in the deepest pit of Hell!" The others looked at him in shock. Shock began to give way to rage in Teraptus' eyes.

"You…you…"

"Hold on Ter," Sav'ran said. "He might have an explanation for this." The look in Sav'ran's eyes, however, was cold.

"He had better," Xoria said, crossing her arms.

"When I came through here the first time…with my friends from home, and my brother…we…we didn't know what we were in for." Vincentio struggled with the words. "I lost all of them here. I fled into this room, where the Marilith made me a deal: My life for that of the Light Warriors. I would be allowed to leave in safety so I could journey north and find you. I'd been in the woods north of Pravoca for 3 months before we met. I used the time to fashion false crystals, which, over time, I have replaced with your true ones while you were all off guard." He reached into his tunic and brought out 5 crystals on pendants, one of them glowing a muted yellow.

"Traitor!" Teraptus said, lunging at Vincentio. Vincentio pushed him back into Sav'ran's arms.

"Why are you telling us this now?" Cyrus asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Hear me out! I…I've come to realize I can't do it…I can't betray you." He hung his head.

"When?" Xoria demanded, "When did you realize this?"

"Out there…when you all risked your lives to save me"

"Just now!" Xoria exclaimed in disbelief. "After all we've been through?"

"Wait! I…I have been thinking about it for some time. I…I thought I had no choice, I thought that I couldn't take my decision back…but Bahamut…he told me that I had a Choice. I was going to tell you before we entered Mt. Gulg, but when you all seemed against me last night…I…"

"You selfish bastard!" Cyrus spat. "Why should we trust you?"

"Because," Vincentio said, and he held out the pendants, which glowed briefly in recognition of their true owners. "I've made my Choice, and for good or ill, I stand by you to the end. I know I don't deserve your trust, but I asking you, please give me a chance. Let me redeem myself, at least in my own eyes."

They took their crystals back and gave Vincentio back the fake ones. Sav'ran's eyes widened as he realized that Cyrus and Bahamut had been right. Teraptus looked oddly at his false one, which still glowed. "That was a difficult illusion to maintain" Vincentio said wryly.

"Insubordinate fool!" came the voice from the orb, filled with rage. "Your life is mine to end as I wish! You will not leave this cavern alive!"

Vincentio drew his sword. "You are the one who will not outlive this day, demon! The power of Fire will once again be restored!"

"The power of Fire is mine alone!"

"Take back the fake crystals, then, and comfort yourself in their false power!" Vincentio hurled four crystals at the orb.

There was a ringing sound, and one crystal hung in the air after striking the orb. A flash of red within it. The orb began to glow brightly.

"Umm…Sav?" Vincentio said apprehensively. "Are you sure you grabbed the right crystal?"

Sav'ran held up the crystal he had taken. He could see the imperfections in it as the light coming from the orb reflected through it. He swore and threw the false one away.

A red hand reached out through the orb, as if the surface of the orb were water, and grabbed the crystal. The rest of the orb shattered, and the Fire Fiend rose up before them. From the waist up, she appeared to be a rather striking human female, albeit with six arms, and much larger than any of them. From the waist down, she was an enormous serpent. Her skin was a dusky red, and jewelry adorned her otherwise nude upper body. In each of her six hand she held a different sword, with the exception of one left hand, which grasped Sav'ran's crystal tightly.

The impact from the orb shattering shook the cavern, and to their left, a section of the cave floor and wall crumbled and fell, revealing the churning magma below.

The Fire Fiend's eyes glowed fiercely. "I am Marilith, Fiend of Fire! And your prophecy ends here Light Warriors! You have awakened me from my slumber, and now you will suffer! Those who disturb me shall burn!" She swung at Vincentio, who barely managed to block with his blade.

Xoria cast a spell, "Nulregh Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" only including Vincentio in it at the last minute.

Cyrus charged forwards, swinging his massive broadsword, and sliced into Marilith's skin. She howled in pain and brought three blades down on the warrior. His armor protected him well, but the force of it almost knocked him into the magma.

Xoria helped him up. Teraptus came over to him. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" Cyrus felt the spell take hold, and charged once again toward the Fiend.

Sav'ran was already there, dancing among the rain of blades that she tried to land upon him, occasionally slashing with his cutlass. Vincentio, too, was slashing at her hide, but was less effective at dodging than the nimble rogue, and received many cuts for his efforts. As he was knocked back, sorely wounded, Xoria reluctantly administered him a potion.

"Don't think this means I forgive you," she hissed, before he could thank her, "but we need all the help we can get right now."

Vincentio nodded and got up.

"Istrae Centa Extol!" Teraptus directed his ice spell at Marilith's face. She screamed as her eyes were covered by ice, but the heat of the place, as well as the heat she gave off herself, melted it quickly.

Marilith knocked them all away from her, giving her room to cast a spell. "Fithostratus Ignusioustan Rajakanulka Eklusulshi!" A ball of fire leapt from her extended finger at touched down at their feet. A massive explosion followed, a huge globe of fire forming with them in the center. Xoria's spell still in place, they managed to not be hurt too much by it.

Cyrus uncorked a potion and drank it, then ran back towards Marilith, catching one of her blades on his shield, and then striking at her chest.

"Hold still, traitor," Teraptus spat as Vincentio prepared to charge in. "As much as I don't like it, Xoria's right and we need your help. Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" Vincentio felt everything around him slow down, and ran back towards Marilith.

Just then, Marilith began to glow, and a burst of flame came from her body, washing over everything in the room. Teraptus, having just cast a spell, had his defenses down, and took a lot of the heat. Xoria rushed to his side to find him unconscious.

"Hang in there Teraptus! Cantosiol Ulinovska Reythator Extatium!"

His eyes fluttered open. There was a scream from where the others were fighting.

Cyrus' blade struck home, driving deep into Marilith's side. She screamed in pain, and tried to strike him, but he swiftly moved out of the way. Sav'ran quickly delivered a few strikes under some of her arms.

"Blast you, humans! I will drown you all in the mountain's heart!" She started chanting and glowing red. The lava below began to glow as well.

"No!" Vincentio cried and leapt upon the Fiend. She was quick to react, however, and one of her arms lashed out.

Her blade exited Vincentio's back, covered in blood. He heard Xoria scream his name. At the same time, he drove his sword two handed, into her chest. Her eyes flashed and her chanting stopped.

"Fool!" she said, spitting up blood. "You have sealed your Fate! And you go to your death!"

"No!" he cried, his voice faltering. "I make my own Destiny, here! I…I have made…my…my choice! And you…will not…hurt them!" He jerked on his sword with all his weight, tearing her blade further though his insides. Ignoring the agony, he took the surprised Fiend with him as they both fell of the gorge and into the churning magma below.

"Vincentio!" Cyrus yelled.

They all stared in disbelief. Several minutes passed in total silence.

"He…he's gone," Sav'ran said in shock.

"Is it over?" a weary Teraptus asked.

"He sacrificed himself for us…" Xoria said softly.

"He also betrayed us!" Cyrus said, disgust rising in his voice.

"How can you say that?" Xoria said, tears in her eyes. "He's dead now! He's gone forever! And he saved us! He-" she stopped.

A large, red hand had thrown itself over the edge of the cliff, climbing up. Grasped with the fingers was the crystal, still on its pendant. Another arm rose up over the edge, with a sword in it. Marilith dragged her head and torso up, Vincentio's blade still buried in her chest. Two more arms, devoid of swords, pulled her up further. There was hatred in her eyes. Cyrus wasted no time and charged forward. The upper right hand, which held the sword, swung down at him. He caught the blade on his shield and made a swipe at he midsection. She pulled her midsection back with serpentine grace, but it had only been a feint. Cyrus chopped off the one of the hands that held her up, she howled in pain, inadvertently leaning back further.

"Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" Teraptus was on his feet and aimed his spell directly at the Fire Fiend. Blue energy flew towards Marilith, forming spears of ice in it as it went. The spears impacted with her torso, slicing through her tough skin as the rest of ice spell took effect on her. She screamed in agony.

Sav'ran leaped forward, and with his cutlass he sliced off the hand that held his crystal in it, reclaiming the crystal, and nimbly returning to the group. The Fire Fiend seemed to contract, then expand, and contract again. She began expanding rapidly, cracks of light appearing beneath the surface of her skin. She exploded, but it was an explosion that seemed to be without force. They all shielded their eyes.

* * *

With the death of the Fire Fiend, the room actually seemed somewhat cooler. They agreed that Sav'ran's crystal was most likely the one keyed to this altar. The altar itself was roughly rectangular, and made of volcanic black rock, with runes carved along the sides. The crystal that hung above it looked like a larger version of the ones they carried, a little more than four feet in height and almost two feet wide at the widest point. It was dark, but seemed to have a tint of red. The spot directly beneath the crystal was a smooth, circular shape with a hole in the center of the altar. Like the earth Shrine, it was mysteriously suspended in the air above the pit.

Sav'ran placed his crystal on the altar, and it jerked itself out of his hand. The pendant floated beneath the crystal on the altar, looking as if it was going to fall in the hole. And then, the pendant began to glow with a red light. It floated slowly upwards, until it touched the larger crystal on the altar. The larger crystal now burst into life, and a bright red glow filled the room. The crystal floated a little bit higher now, and began slowly rotating as it bobbed up and down in its place on the altar. The pendant, still a bright red and now glowing like a beacon, floated back onto the altar and fell onto the stone.

Sav'ran reclaimed his amulet and placed it around his neck.

Cyrus placed his hand on his shoulder. "Any more doubts?" he asked softly.

Sav'ran looked up at him, then shook his head. "Bahamut said that I would discover that my doubts were unfounded 'to a degree that will satisfy my doubts, but in such a manner to trouble me further'. I know what he meant now." He looked over to Xoria, who's face was unreadable.

"Xoria?" Teraptus said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit, having been lost in thought. "Do you…want to talk?"

"I…" she started, and then she lost control, weeping into Teraptus' shoulder.

"Let's get out of here," Sav'ran said, holding the crystal and focusing. He wished that they were out of the Fire Shrine, and, if possible, already in Crescent Lake. There was a flash of light.


	5. Chapter 5

"This doesn't look much like a volcano, Vince" Sav'ran observed dryly, his breath condensing in the cold air of the cave.

"How can you tell?" Vincentio responded with heavy sarcasm.

It was two days after setting out from Crescent Lake. The branch of the river they had been following had once again been a dead end. They parked their canoe and set up camp. In the morning, after waking, Vincentio and Cyrus found a cave nearby to their campsite. Vincentio suggested that it might lead through the mountain range to Mt. Gulg. They agreed that it was worth a try. At least it was better than rowing.

Not far into the cave, they felt the temperature begin to drop. Then the floor beneath them had crumbled, and they had tumbled down a chute of ice and stone. When they came to a sudden stop at the bottom, they looked around. The light from Vincentio and Xoria's spells reflected off of ice crystals all over the cavern. Sharp, jagged crystal formations abounded all over the place, turning the light from the spells into beautiful rainbows.

"All right, nobody panic," Cyrus said, "There's got to be a way out of here, let's just keep calm and find it."

"I can cast a spell that will protect us from cold," Xoria said. "Nulregh Istrae Centa Extol!" All of them glowed a light blue.

And so they trekked through the frozen cavern. They had only been walking for an hour before they were ambushed.

Several figures jumped out from cover all around them. Three of them wore black chainmail and bore wicked-looking wave-edged swords. The other two wore long black robes. All of them looked elven, save that their skin was black and their hair a stark white. They looked like Astos.

"Drow," Sav'ran hissed, his cutlass in his hands almost instantly. Their attackers wasted no time and attacked. Cyrus put himself between one of them and Teraptus, catching the blade on his shield as he drew his sword. Vincentio barely dodged a swipe from one of them as he pulled his blade form its sheathe. Sav'ran met blades with another, and there was a shower of sparks.

Teraptus noticed that the two in robes were beginning to cast spells. He responded in kind. "Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Lighting sprang from his fingertips, the bolts from each hand striking one of the spellcasters. Electricity coursed through their bodies, and one of them stopped chanting, his spell lost.

Xoria was upon the other with her staff, but he cast his spell anyway. It directed a green ray at Teraptus, but the young mage shrugged it off, apparently it had no effect. Xoria's steel-shod staff began raining down upon his head.

The three dark elves with swords were very skillful fighters, and even Cyrus had taken quite a few hits. Sav'ran was depending a lot on his own agility to avoid the sword slashes of the one he faced off against, but it looked like he was going to be cornered soon. Vincentio, for his part, was doing well. He had cast a spell on his sword, and his blade cut through the mesh armor of the drow with ease. Cyrus found an opening in his enemy's defenses, and ran the dark elf through. He then turned to one of the spellcasters and lopped his head off.

Xoria was having trouble with the other one, as it was able to bob and weave while still casting another spell. Teraptus was on it as well. "Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" Waves of blue energy came from his fingers and encased the drow in solid ice against the wall of the cavern.

Vincentio finished off his own opponent and then turned to help Sav'ran. When they were done, they gathered around the last spellcaster, which was about to be free as Teraptus' spell ended. When he was free he noted that he was surrounded. Eyes glinting darkly, he tried to cast another spell. He never got the chance, as Sav'ran sliced his throat.

"Well, now we know these caves are inhabited," Xoria said. They passed around healing potions to those that were interested.

Most of the rest of the trip through the cavern was uneventful, though they felt as if they were being watched the entire time. They found passages that led upwards, and some that seemed to lead in circles. Xoria had to repeat her protection spell as it wore off several times. After walking for what seemed like 4 hours, they were surprised to find an actual door built into one of the cavern walls. There was an inscription of some sort around the doorframe, but it was in neither the human tongue nor elven.

"Impossible!" Xoria gasped when she looked at the runes.

"What is it?" Teraptus asked.

"I can read this! It's written in the holy language of the Temple of Ysgard!"

"Why would that be way out here?" Cyrus asked. "We're almost a hundred miles from Cornelia."

"I don't know…" she replied as she read the runes. "We have to go in here," she said as she finished.

"What do they say?" Teraptus asked, interested.

"It says that there's an important artifact of the people of Ysgard within. And it's guarded, so get ready for a fight."

The door was frozen shut, but Teraptus and Vincentio worked together to use fire spells to melt the ice. Once they got the door open, they found themselves in a rather large cavern that had no other exits. There were several large sections of the floor that appeared to be completely made of ice, and none too safe to tread on.

There was a rattle from the back of the room, and something lunged towards them. It appeared to be a giant, floating skull that only had one eye socket. Its mouth was huge and filled with sharp teeth. It floated steadily towards them, as if it were going to ram them.

"Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Lightning sprang from Teraptus' fingertips and promptly blasted the thing to pieces.

"Not much of a guardian," Sav'ran noted.

"Look at this," Xoria said, examining something on the ground. They all gathered around it. It was a stone of some sort, neatly cut and inscribed with runes similar to those on the door. It was also floating a foot above the ground. "The guardian must have died a long time ago, and swallowed this before it did to keep it safe. It was all that was holding it afloat."

"What does it say?" Vincentio asked.

"I'm not sure," she said, puzzled. "The writing is all over the thing…something about the Lykion Desert, and this being a key…"

"We'll figure it out later," Cyrus said, "Let's get out of this cave."

* * *

Using the crystal in the Fire Shrine transported them right outside Mt. Gulg. They had mapped their progress to the volcano, and were able to find their way back to Crescent Lake with little difficulty. Xoria didn't say much to any of them during the trip back, and everyone gave her time to herself. Teraptus seemed especially hurt by her silence, but he feared to speak with her lest he upset her further. He had never liked Vincentio, and hadn't made a secret of it. He felt vindicated that he was right about not trusting him, but he knew that it was not the time for "I told you so."

Xoria absorbed herself in studying the mysterious stone that they had found in the Ice Cave before finding Mt. Gulg. She had a scroll with her and she transcribed the runes and symbols from the stone onto the scroll. When they reached Crescent Lake, she stayed in the Inn for a few days, studying the stone, while the others explored the town.

At Sav'ran's suggestion, they decided to tell Vincentio's family about what happened. Though initially angry at accusations of treason about his son, Vincentio's father had a change of heart when they told him about Vincentio's final decision and self-sacrifice. He wept to learn the fate of his only two children, and asked that they leave him alone.

Not yet ready to move on, and wanting to let Xoria grieve before putting her through anything else, they stayed in Crescent Lake for awhile. Sav'ran spent some time fishing in the river. He even caught several fish. Cyrus trained with some of the city guard, passing along what he knew, along with absorbing some of their techniques. Teraptus stayed with Tatalia, learning more about how magic worked. He picked up a few new incantations from her, as well.

Xoria, for her part, was dealing with her grief. She didn't know how to feel about Vincentio. She had enjoyed his company. He was good looking, charming, intelligent and considerate. At the same time, he had been plotting against them the entire time he had spent with them. She was angry. She was more than angry, she was furious. But he had chosen them over his masters, and in the end, had nobly sacrificed his life to save them. Tears welled up in her eyes every time she thought about it. She didn't know how to face the others. She had been closer to Vincentio than any of them. Cyrus seemed to get along with him, Sav'ran was neutral. She knew that Teraptus didn't like him at all. For that matter, she didn't know what to think of Teraptus either.

She knew she liked the quiet young mage, and she was not oblivious to his feelings towards her. However, when she had started spending time with Vincentio, Teraptus seemed to almost fade into the background. At first she thought that he didn't like her after all, and she had started spending more time with Vincentio because of it, thinking that if he would ignore her, then she'd ignore him. Sometime after their time in Elfheim, though, he started trying to get close to her again, and she was torn. He showed interest in her, but backed away when Vincentio was around. Talking with Sav'ran cleared it up for her. He was only backing off because he thought she preferred Vincentio. She was touched that he would respect what he perceived to be her wishes, but rather wished he would be more assertive. She regretted that wish when he and Vincentio had gotten into a fight one evening. She had been angry with Vincentio, too. It showed her a side of him she didn't like. Teraptus had never been possessive of her. Protective, perhaps, which was sweet, but he never treated her like she was his.

She felt bad at thinking poorly of Vincentio now. He _had_ given his life for them. But she felt worse in knowing that even before they had entered Mt. Gulg, she had been considering breaking off her relationship with him. Would it have made a crucial difference? she thought, If I had broken up with Vince, he may not have chosen us over them. Xoria buried her head in her arms, unsure of what to do.

She raised her head after a while. She had almost figured out the stone. It was a Levistone. It was an ancient relic, and it was the key to something in the Lykion Desert, which she knew from checking maps to be south of Crescent Lake. Because it was in the language of Ysgard, it seemed as if it would be some kind of holy artifact, but the context of the runes seemed to imply that it was merely some kind of vehicle. There was no note of reverence in the words of the stone. In fact, it seemed to imply that Ysgard was a _place_, rather than a deity. She would have counted it as fake, if it were not for the obvious evidence that it was extremely old.

She got up from her place at the desk. It was time to find the others and move on with their quest.

* * *

The circle of sages was silent. The Light Warriors could feel their eyes upon them as they stood in the center of the wise old men once again.

Lukhin spoke up, "The Fiend of Fire has been destroyed."

"Ah," the other sages chorused.

"Our companion lost his life to the Fiend," Cyrus stated simply.

One of the sages, a rather mean looking old man, looked at Cyrus and sneered. "Your 'companion' was a traitor to your cause."

Xoria looked up at him. "You knew?"

"I think they all knew, Xoria," Sav'ran said. "Remember how Sarda said something odd to him? And I think Bahamut knew as well."

One of the other sages looked up sharply. "Bahamut? You have met the Dragon Lord?"

"Yes," Teraptus answered. "The Dragon Lord helped us back here when our ship was wrecked. He offered us a boon if we fulfilled an ancient challenge."

"Truly?" another sage asked in wonder. "You intend to journey to the Citadel of Challenges? There are untold horrors and challenges within."

Sav'ran perked up at that.

A few other sages nodded and murmured amongst themselves. One of them spoke, "No one has journeyed to the Cardian Isles in hundreds of years. The pacts with the Dragons there have been long forgotten by the kingdoms of men."

"…Forgotten, but not undone…" Sav'ran said.

"No," the sages said, nodding, "never undone. Though you would first need the key to the Keep. To get that, you would need to do a service to the Kingdoms of Men."

"Or Elves?" Sav'ran countered.

Cyrus looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

Sav'ran dug into his pack and pulled out the symbol that Erevan had given them after they revived him. It was a three-inch thick, four-pointed star with a hole in the middle. "Erevan said this thing had something to do with 'challenges untold, and pacts forgotten but not undone'. I think this is the key to the Citadel."

Lukhin nodded. "It is indeed, young warrior. It is fitting that the Light Warriors should journey to the Citadel and renew the ancient pact with the dragons. Since the coming of the Fiends, the world has been unsafe, and the Kingdoms of Men and Dragons lost contact. With the destruction of the Fiends, these pacts will once again be renewed. But the Citadel is far away, and if you have, as you say, lost your ship, then how do you propose to get there?"

"Lukhin," Xoria said, speaking up. "Do you know anything about this Levistone?"

Lukhin's eyes widened as she brought it out of her pack and showed it to him. "I have only heard of the artifacts of the Lufenian Sky People, but have never seen one myself."

"Lufenian what? The writings here are in the sacred language of the Temple of Ysgard."

Lukhin smiled warmly. "You will no doubt find the answers you seek with that relic, Light Warrior. I suggest you investigate that further. The sages of this circle can be of no further use to you."

"Wait!" Cyrus said. "Where is the next Shrine?"

Lukhin looked at him. "The Shrine of Water was once located near the town of Onlak, but it has disappeared. You would do well to start your search there. Knowledge of the Air Shrine…has been lost to time."

* * *

"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be?" Sav'ran asked, shouting over the wind. His face was completely obscured by a cloth to protect him from the sand swirling all around. Sav'ran didn't like this desert. He liked being surrounded by trees or water, and the desert lacked both. Also, the giant worms that inhabited the desert were a little too interested in them for his taste.

Cyrus and Teraptus, likewise covered, hurried to catch up. Xoria looked about to get her bearings.

"It should be around here somewhere," she said.

"Is that it?" Teraptus asked, pointing to a stone outcropping not far from their current position.

"Yes! Yes it is!" Xoria hugged the young mage. "Let's go!"

* * *

They stood in the ancient ruins, the wind howling all around them. The crumbled walls protected them from the wind, but they could hear it just outside. They gathered around a stone pedestal that had a strange indentation in it. Xoria placed the Levistone carefully into the indentation.

"Now what?" Cyrus asked.

The wind stopped suddenly. There was a dead quiet.

"I don't like this…" Sav'ran started.

There was a grating sound, and the pedestal with the Levistone began to sink into the floor. It sank all the way into the earth, leaving only a black hole where it had been.

"Is this supposed to happen?" Teraptus asked nervously.

"I don't know," Xoria said. "The runes weren't this specific."

"That isn't what I wanted to hear, Xoria," Cyrus said, gritting his teeth and holding on to a wall as the earth began to shake.

Suddenly, the stone beneath them began to split, sliding open. The split carried into the desert as well, and sand began sliding into the hole.

Xoria screamed as she lost her balance and fell into the hole.

"Xoria!" Teraptus screamed. He reached for her, but in doing so, he lost his balance, and then he too fell in the rapidly growing gap.

Cyrus continued to back away, but Sav'ran looked into the gap after the two fallen mages. "Oh well," he said, "a timid heart brings only a dull life" With that, he jumped into the hole.

"Are you mad?" Cyrus yelled after him.

There was a rumble from below, a grinding sound, followed by a low whine that deepened into a dull roar. Peering into the gap, Cyrus thought he saw movement. Then he was thrown onto his backside as something enormous came flying out of the gap. It looked like a boat, mostly, except for the odd propellers sticking out of the deck, which would explain the flying….

Cyrus rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yes. That was definitely a flying boat. There were people on board, looking over the edge at him.

"You coming on board, or should we leave you there?"

The gap in the desert began to close, and Cyrus scrambled away from it.

"Here," came Sav'ran's voice from above as a rope ladder swung down about 10 feet in front of Cyrus. "The ship won't land here, the ground is too unstable"

Cyrus grabbed the ladder and climbed up. Teraptus and Sav'ran were grinning at him, although he could only see the smile in Teraptus' eyes, as the robes still hid his mouth.

"What is this?" Cyrus said in awe, looking around.

"It's an airship," Xoria answered from what appeared to be the steering mechanism. The mechanism clearly contained the pedestal from the ruins, as the Levistone was embedded in it and glowing brightly. Also glowing brightly was a jewel in the circlet she seemed to be wearing on her head. "The Levistone makes it fly, the propellers provide directional control. This will be much more versatile than a boat, and…" Cyrus and the others were thrown to the deck as the ship suddenly came to life, jerking forward at incredible velocity. "…Much faster."

* * *

"Where to?" Xoria asked as the ship slowed to a halt over the mountains north of the desert.

"The Castle of Challenges, don't you think?" Cyrus said.

Sav'ran grinned. "Definitely"

"Hold on to something" Xoria said, grinning.

"I think I'll go below deck" Teraptus excused himself.

Cyrus and Sav'ran each found handholds on the sides of the rail and grinned. The propellers sprang to life overhead, and the airship began to turn until it faced northwest. The larger ones in the back began to spin.

"Hope you're ready" Xoria said from the control pedestal, "here we go"

The airship moved forward, slowly at first, then rapidly accelerating. The landscape beneath them became a blur, and in less than half an hour, they were sailing over the northern ocean, and then the Cardian Sea. The airship slowed, almost to a halt.

"Where is this castle again?" Xoria asked.

"Bahamut said it was to the east" Sav'ran said.

"East it is, then" Xoria said. Cyrus and Sav'ran had to hold on tightly as the airship turned sharply, now facing east. "I think I'm getting the hang of how to steer this thing," Xoria said happily.

"Now if only we could get the hang of how to survive your driving" Sav'ran muttered.

The propellers in the back roared to life once again, and they sped east. Almost immediately upon coming in sight of land, they saw tall, slender spires rising out of the forest. Followed by the white outer walls of the castle. Xoria brought the airship to a halt in front of the keep, and it lowered until it almost touched the ground. The propellers slowed down, and then came to a halt, but they still hadn't touched the ground yet.

"How do we get down?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria shrugged. "I don't know. I told it to land, we still seem to be hovering by the Levistone's power"

Just then they heard a voice from below.

"Solid ground! Thank Heaven!"

Cyrus peeked over the edge and saw Teraptus on the ground, on his hands and knees, clutching the grass. "Hey, Ter! How did you get down there?"

Teraptus looked up. "There's a ramp that opened up in the cargo hold!"

Cyrus looked to the others. "In the cargo hold there's an exit."

Sav'ran and Xoria were already headed below deck. Once they were all on the ground, the door closed and the propellers started spinning again.

"What's going on?" Sav'ran asked, panicked. "Xoria!"

"It's all right," she said, as the airship lifted into the air to about fifty feet, where it hovered. "This is to make sure no one else gets on board while we're away from it. I can call it back down when we return."

They turned to look at the keep. As Bahamut had promised, it looked ancient. The outer walls were covered in plant growth, and crumbling in many places. All of the windows were missing glass, and several of the towers looked ready to collapse. All in all, a gloomy, foreboding place.

"Remind me to fire the housekeeper" Teraptus said.

The others chuckled, the humor a welcome change from the mood that the keep instilled.

As they entered the front doors, they found themselves in a great hall, with columns lining either side, creating a straight path to the back of the keep. Suddenly, a glow began to form in front of them. Cyrus and Sav'ran drew their swords, and Xoria readied her staff.

The glow shaped itself into a humanoid form. "Greetings," it said to them in an old, withered voice. "Visitors to the castle of challenges, do you have the key?"

Sav'ran reached into his pack and drew out the symbol that Erevan had given to them, never taking his eyes off the glowing form, nor lowering his sword.

"Very well," the figure said, "at the end of this path, there is a throne. You will find that the key is a part of that throne. When the throne is complete, the path into the keep will become open. The castle is a labyrinth, challengers, and at the end is a final test to obtain the proof of courage. Fare thee well." And the figure vanished.

"Well, that was needlessly creepy" Sav'ran said.

"I agree," Cyrus responded, "but we should also take the words to heart. Be on your guard, everyone."

They moved forward cautiously, but there were no threats to be found. As promised, there was a throne at the end of the path, and on the back of the throne there was an indentation the same size and shape of the artifact that the Elven Prince had given to them. Sav'ran approached the throne. It was bigger than him, so he had to climb onto the seat to place the symbol.

"Careful Sav," Xoria cautioned.

Sav'ran placed the symbol, then instantly disappeared.

"Sav'ran!" Cyrus called and jumped forward. As soon as his hand touched the seat of the throne, he too disappeared.

Teraptus and Xoria looked at each other and shrugged. Teraptus moved to touch the seat.

"Wait," Xoria said.

He turned back towards her. "Shouldn't we join the others?"

"Yes, we should…we will. But I want to talk to you" She stepped up close to him. "I just want you to know that I…I…Look, I don't want you to feel guilty about Vince. I know you didn't like him, and I know he betrayed us, and I know that what he did in the end makes it hard to remember him poorly, but…oh, I don't know. Look…" and with that, she grabbed Teraptus by the shoulders and pulled him in and kissed him soundly. Teraptus was stunned into silence. Xoria smiled at him, the first smile in a long time that truly reached up into her beautiful green eyes. "I think that about covers it…for now" Then she touched the seat of the throne and disappeared as well. A moment later, Teraptus touched it, too.

He felt as if something on the seat had sucked him forcibly through an opening much too small for even his finger. The world was spinning, and the floor was gone. He felt at once as if he were flying, underwater, and buried alive. Then it was over, and he realized it had all taken only a moment.

"About time" Sav'ran said from where he sat, crouched on the floor. Two scaly humanoids lay dead in the corner. It seemed they each had a pile of dead snakes around their heads as well. Sav'ran followed Teraptus' gaze to the corpses.

"Medusas" Cyrus said. "Fortunately I arrived facing away from them, but I could see them in the reflection of my shield. Made them a little tough to kill."

"Shall we move on?" Xoria asked, not wanting to look at the bodies of the repulsive things.

"Where?" Sav'ran said sourly, "there's no doors, only two pillars. Getting around in this castle must be part of the challenge."

Teraptus was examining one of the pillars. "These are magical," he announced, "I can feel it."

"What do they do?" Cyrus asked.

"Difficult to say," Teraptus answered, looking now at the one on the right. "But it seems likely, given how we got here, that touching a pillar takes us somewhere else in this place." With that, he touched the pillar and disappeared.

"Ter!" Xoria shouted. "Let's go, there could be more monsters!" All three of them ran and touched the pillar.

Teraptus was waiting for them at the destination. "Sorry," he said, "should've consulted you guys on which one to take."

Cyrus looked about. "Where are we know?"

"It's a maze," Teraptus said, "And quite ingenious. We can't leave any kind of string to guide us, so we'll have to leave some kind of marking to show which pillar we took in each room." He pointed, and they now saw another two pillars.

"How do we know we're not in the same room as before?" Xoria asked.

"Easy, I got here first and didn't see you guys, and no medusa bodies."

Sav'ran had moved forward into the room. "I suggest we continue using the pillar on the right."

"I agree," Xoria said, "and let's leave behind a Gil in front of whichever pillar we use."

Thus they proceeded throughout the castle, and somehow managed to find their way without ever having to double back. They soon found themselves wandering long hallways that seemed to stretch the entire length of the citadel. Each turn brought them closer to the center of the floor they were now on. Because there were no windows, it was impossible to say which floor. They could even be underground. The only real trouble they encountered throughout the castle were the blue-skinned Ogre Magi, the small packs of three-headed chimeras, and the pair of clay golems guarding a steel gauntlet. The gauntlet had lightning motif etchings all around it. Teraptus promised to study it more when he had the chance.

At last they came to a set of huge doors. There were markings all over the doors and writing in both human and draconic languages. They all stared at the door.

"'Beware, warriorse,'" Sav'ran read aloud, "'the truest test of thye courage lies ahead. Looke ye unto thine owne hearts and to thye magicke and steele. Withine lies a horrible beaste.' Geez, whoever wrote this couldn't spell for beans, could they?"

Cyrus smirked, "Well, I've got my 'steele' readied, how about you guys' 'magicke'?"

Xoria and Teraptus smiled. "We're ready" they both chanted.

Cyrus nodded to Sav'ran, who opened up the doors. A horrible stench wafted to their noses, making them all turn away slightly. The room was mostly empty, and dark, except for a column of light illuminating the back. Within the pool of light, there was a throne, identical to the one they had used to enter the castle. In front of the throne was a chest, closed and presumably locked. But what drew the attention the most was what was lying on the ground in front of the throne. The enormous form of a green-scaled dragon.

Or what had once been a dragon.

As they carefully approached, they noticed there was no rising and falling to the dragon's chest, and that the flesh of the dragon was rotting off the bones. The stench was terrible.

"Well," Sav'ran said, "seems we have another guardian who dies before it got to do its job." He turned back to them. "Some test of courage. Big dragon corpses don't exactly inspire terror.

Xoria's eyes widened. "Sav'ran," she said in a low voice, her hand coming up as she prepared a spell, "you may want to revise that statement."

Sav'ran turned around and gaped. The dragon corpse had begun to rise, fierce red pinpoints of light glowing in its empty sockets. It's head rose, and the jaws began to work open and close, dust and debris falling from them as if they had not been opened in centuries. As the wings spread, the last bit of flesh of the wing membranes between the bones fell to the floor. Nonetheless, as the bony wings flapped, the creature began to rise somewhat.

"Now's the time, magical boys and girls!" Cyrus shouted, not taking his eyes off the thing.

Teraptus stepped forward, "Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" The bead of fire sank into the ground at the dead dragon's feet, a moment later the ground turned red and a column of flame erupted underneath it. The stench of burning flesh filled the room, and the dragon shrieked in agony as it attempted to finish righting itself.

"Good enough!" Cyrus said and charged the thing, sword in hand. He managed to gouge a few deep slashed into the thing, but as it was not living, it was difficult to say if he hit anything vital. Sav'ran was right behind him, but his cutlass was much less effective.

The dragon made a lunge for a bite at Sav'ran, but he rolled out of the way. One of its bony wings managed to knock Cyrus over, however, and the dragon sank it claws into his sides.

"Cyrus hold on!" Xoria shouted, "Desaré Incantum Absolva!" Xoria cast her spell and light filled the room, pure, white light, emanating from no particular source. As it grew brighter and brighter, the undead dragon screamed, but did not let go of Cyrus. Its head came down for a bite.

Sav'ran jumped in the way and thrust his cutlass into the thing's mouth. As the dragon pulled it's head away, Xoria saw that the sword was lodged in the roof of its mouth, and it could no longer close its jaws. Sav'ran, however, had taken a couple of nasty wounds from the thing's teeth, and the wounds were filled with a disgusting green foam as well. Sav'ran rolled, groaning.

Teraptus turned to Xoria. "Xoria! We need some fire protection, now! They're too close to the dragon!"

Xoria nodded. "Nulregh Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" A red glow began to surround all four of them. Teraptus began to gather in his will to cast the spell.

Just then, the dragon roared again, and its jaws came together, shattering the sword that had been lodged in its mouth. It turned to Cyrus and Sav'ran. Cyrus had gotten to his feet and has his sword ready, but Sav'ran was rolling on the ground in pain, clutching his arms. The Dragon shambled forward quickly, supported somewhat by its rotted wings that somehow helped hold it aloft, it prepared to attack with claws and teeth all at once.

Teraptus watched as it descended upon his friends. The fire spell would not be enough, the dragon was too strong, he wouldn't make it…He closed his eyes. For a moment, time seemed to stop, and he heard the words of Bahamut echo in his head. 'Shouldst thou fear to bring forth the brunt of thy full power, the ones that thou dost love most shall suffer.' His eyes snapped open again. He had to try.

"No…you…don't!" his words coming through clenched teeth as he built up all the power he could. "Fithostratus Ignusioustan Rajakanulka Eklusulshi!" A ball of fire leapt from his extended fingertips at touched down at the zombie dragon's feet. A massive explosion followed, a huge globe of fire forming with it in the center. Everyone looked away, holding up their arms and shielding their eyes. They all felt the heat as the fire washed over them, but thanks to Xoria's protective spell, the burns they suffered were minimal. The same could not be said for the zombie dragon. All of its flesh had blackened completely. The force of the explosion of fire had actually knocked it backwards several feet, and it stood immobile, as if it were still going to resume attacking at any moment. The moment never came, however. The burned flesh fell from the fire-blackened bones of the monster, which crumbled to the floor in a heap, useless.

Xoria immediately rushed to Sav'ran's side. "I think you've been poisoned, I should be able to remove it. Pencha Unyaia Rectif Esuna!" The green foam about his wounds disappeared. She then began to heal the cuts on his arms. When he was fully healed, she stood and turned to Cyrus.

"I'm fine," Cyrus said as he disposed of an empty potion vial. "We're a little low on potions and my armor's totaled, but I'm fine."

"My sword!" Sav'ran exclaimed, looking towards the dragon's remains.

The others looked at each other. "I'm sorry, Sav, but the dragon broke your sword."

Sav'ran's face fell. "That was an elven blade made of a mithril-steel alloy."

"You've got your daggers until we can get you somewhere to have a new one made."

"Speaking of," Teraptus said, "you should give that adamantine that the minotaurs gave us to a dwarf I know in Mt. Duergar. He's a master blacksmith, and I'm sure he'd make you a sword for free just for the pleasure of working with adamantine."

Cyrus smiled. "Sound like a plan, but first, we should get our proof of courage and get back to Bahamut."

They went to the chest at the foot of the throne. It was unlocked, and inside it, they found a necklace upon which was affixed a rat's tail.

"You have got to be kidding," Sav'ran said.

"Gross," Xoria said.

Teraptus was trying not to laugh, "Maybe…maybe dragons are afraid of rats"

Cyrus chuckled at that. "Well, Bahamut said it would look strange. I guess no one would ever bring in another rat's tail as proof unless this was really it, so making it something like this makes sure no one fakes passing the test."

"I'm leaving" Sav'ran said, and touched the throne. The others followed him.

They found themselves right in front of the entrance throne, which was now once again missing the symbol. As they left the castle, the apparition did not appear again. Xoria used her circlet to call the airship down again, and they all proceeded inside via the cargo hold ramp. Soon they were once again underway.

It did not take them long to reach Bahamut's isle, less than half an hour. The armed dragons at the gate to his throne room looked a little surprised to see them, but since they had been there before, they let them in without a fuss. They proceeded down the long, chandelier-lit throne room until they reached Bahamut's throne. This time, he had already unfurled his wings and was ready to speak to them when they approached.

"It has been eons since true heroes approached me. Well done, that rat's tail is proof of your courage and strength. Now, Light Warriors, step forward and accept titles more worthy of heroes." With that, his wings spread to their full, unbelievable span and the color inside them began to shine brightly.

"Cyrus of Cornelia!" his voice boomed, "Thou'rt selfless and brave. Cunning thou hast, and thy heart is noble. Let now thy name be as noble as thy heart ever wast. I knight thee Sir Cyrus, Dragon Knight of the Cardian Isle Kingdom!" Cyrus knelt and a light enveloped him. When it was done, he stood in a new suit of armor, this one lighter than his previous mithril suit, but somehow stronger. It was emblazoned with the crest of Bahamut, a dragon with wings outspread, hovering over a globe nestled in laurel wreaths. His shoulder guards were larger, and a long red cape flowed from them, embroidered with the same crest in all gold. His shield, however, carried his own coat of arms, which Bahamut had granted him. This was a shield divided into four sections, each with something different in it. The symbol in the lower left of his crest was the dove of Cornelia, another was a dragon, and yet another was a downward pointing triangle with a horizontal line near the base, the symbol for water that Sarda had shown them. The final section of the crest held a great tree, the symbol of Elfheim, which only elves and elf-friends were allowed to bear. The shield on the crest was topped with a great helm without a visor. A visorless helmet then appeared on Cyrus' head, almost the exact image of the one on the crest on his shield, with protrusions near the top that almost made it look like a sort of crown. When he at last looked up, he looked a little different to everyone else, almost as if the experience had matured him somewhat. His face was still recognizable, but he had clearly been changed by the experience.

"Savlas Ferathan of Elfheim!" Bahamut boomed again, "Thou'rt nimble and quick. Thy quick thinking and action have saved thy friends many times. To the arts of stealth and finesse you devote your talents. Let them serve you now even more, and be a true child of the shadows!" Sav'ran bowed his head as the light engulfed him. As it faded, he found he was wearing an elegant, full-body suit of fine green cloth, complete with soft boots. There was a hood and a cloth face mask as well. As he crouched low to test his mobility, he found that the cloth of the garment changed to match the color of the floor, rendering him almost invisible. When he looked up, he found that a sheathed blade was resting on the ground before him. He drew it and noticed that it was a single-edge, curved blade, unlike any he had ever seen. "This is Sasuke, a blade of fine quality. The steel is folded over a hundred times, and the razor sharp blade enchanted to never dull." Sav'ran nodded dumbly.

"Xoria, acolyte of Ysgard!" Bahamut's voice had not yet wavered or diminished. "Thy power for the healing arts is exceeded only by thy kindness. Love, truly thy greatest asset, has increased thy mastery over thine own power. The Mark that thou dost bear is but the open door to thy true destiny as a White Wizard of great power. Let you realize it now!" The light engulfed Xoria now. When it subsided, her robes had changed somewhat. They now more closely resembled those of Xion, the head of her order. Her hood was now back, and triangles no longer adorned the edge of the hood, but only at the bottom hem of her robes. The robes themselves now more closely resembled a dress, as they seemed to fit more tightly, more complimentary to her figure instead of the unisex robes she had worn until now. The circlet at her brow had changed. The airship control gem was still in place, but instead of a simple metal band, it had become an intricate platinum tiara. Her hair was held back by a strange, intricate braid, and beautiful earrings now dangled from her earlobes. On each of her now sleeveless arms were intricate platinum bracers that had an airy, delicate look to them. Her Wizard Mark was now plainly visible on her right arm, but the design of the bracer complimented it very well and made it less noticeable by the mated bracer on her left. She could feel the protective power of the bracers, exceeding even the bracelet she had obtained in Elfheim. She, too, appeared to have matured somewhat, the evidence in the expression on her face.

"Teraptus of Melmond!" Bahamut bellowed again, "Thou hast finally embraced thy nature. The power to reshape reality flows within thy veins, and though you no longer fear it, thou dost cleave strongly to thy sense of responsibility and respect for life. This is what truly separates common mages from Wizards of great renown. A great wizard thou hast become, and Archmagus, I proclaim thee!" When the light engulfed Teraptus, he felt as if a wind was blowing around him. His hat was torn from his head, and he could feel his robes changing. When the light faded, his hat was gone. His hair seemed to have grown a bit, and been cleaned and brushed back. He, too, like the others, appeared more mature, and the Wizard Mark on his face looked not so much like a deformation, but rather a sigil of power as it now tingled very softly with the hint of a blue light. His robes were no longer the simple ones he had worn as a priest-in-training and to cover himself. They were still blue, but a deeper, rich blue. From each shoulder cascading down vertically were strips of black cloth with silver draconic runes embroidered in. His heavy gloves had gone; he now had sheer black ones, with small mithril tips on the fingers. He could feel the weight-and the power-of the metal bracers on his forearms, providing him with an invisible field of armor-like protection. A staff formed before him and he grasped it. The stave was fine cedar, and there was a gilded dragon perched atop it, its tail coiling down the staff. It had a mithril cap on the other end, too. He could feel fire magic inside the staff.

They all looked each other over. Sav'ran noticed that there were dragons embroidered down the shoulders of his garments. They were long, sleek and elegant, and embroidered in a green only slightly darker than the cloth itself. Cyrus was busy examining his personal crest that Bahamut had given him.

"The Water symbol" Xoria noted, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes," Bahamut intoned, "Sir Cyrus's crystal is linked to the shrine of water. The sages were correct in pointing you towards Onlak, which is due west of here. It is there that you should resume your quest."

"Is there some significance to this tiara?" Xoria asked. "And these bracers...they match, that's not a coincidence is it." It was not so much a question.

"Indeed, young wizard, thou art very perceptive. The tiara and bracers are of Lufenian design. As is the particular style of braid that thy hair is in. It marks thee as a person of rank in that society."

Teraptus looked at her. "You know, the sages said something about 'Lufenien' something or another, too, didn't they? Wonder what the connection is."

Bahamut looked at them, and even though he did not have lips, per se, somehow they all got the impression he was smiling at them. "Also correct, archmage. The connection is something that you will discover on your quest. I would be doing you all a disservice to reveal the full details to you now. Discovery is the mother of wisdom."

"These 'Lufenians'…they're somehow connected to the worship of Ysgard?"

Bahamut blinked once, then nodded slightly. "Yes, but there is more to it than that. That is all I have for you, Light Warriors. May your gods and mine look upon you with favor."

* * *

Onlak was a rather large port town. Deciding to keep a low profile at first, they flew the airship around Onlak and set it down in the woods a few miles away from town. As they set the ship down and disembarked, Cyrus stood, staring silently in the direction of the town. 

Xoria approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Garland was from Onlak, wasn't he?"

Cyrus nodded, but did not say anything. Xoria removed her hand from his shoulder and looked to the others, who returned her gaze helplessly. The others came up to stand beside Cyrus.

Cyrus looked at all of them and a wan smile came to his face. "Well then, are we ready?" They all nodded silently and ventured into the forest to continue towards Onlak.

* * *

Keeping a low profile went right out the window, airship or no. It's not every day that a troupe of heroes wanders into town. Especially not groups led by knights in shining armor with two companions who were very obviously mages in tow. People stared, people whispered, and people respectfully gave them right of way along the streets acting, it seemed, not out of fear, but respect.

"This is kinda awkward…" Sav'ran observed.

"Hail, heroes!" came a shout from ahead, towards the center of town.

Everyone looked to where the voice had come from. Rising up from a group of people, his serpentine neck raised high to get a better view of the newcomers, was a Cardian dragon, dressed in a simple blue robe, and apparently conversing with a few other townsfolk. The townsfolk then followed the dragon's gaze back towards Cyrus and the others, expectantly.

"Come on now, I don't bite" the dragon said, waving them over to him, "but…surely you knew that already didn't you?" He winked.

"Do we…know you?" Cyrus asked as they approached him.

"Well, no, not personally, but I know the mark of Bahamut anywhere. You've seen the Dragon King, and what's more! You've proven yourselves as true heroes!"

Nearby townsfolk took interest in this. Whispers began spreading throughout the people nearby, and more and more people were suddenly finding themselves "nearby".

"Heroes? Really?"

"I wonder if they're gonna save the town?"

"Think they slew a dragon?"

"How do we know they're really heroes?"

"Wow, look at their swords"

"Brazden never lies, he says their heroes"

"Wow, check out the mage's staff!"

"I like his tattoo"

"I like the one in white"

"I want a sword like the knight"

The Light Warriors suddenly found themselves to be quite the center of attention. With one comment from the chatty dragon, they became instant celebrities. They were swarmed with questions about their adventures, about killing monsters, rescuing damsels and finding treasure. Being rather confused they answered what they could. In return, they managed to get a great deal on the best rooms available in the town's inn.

"Wow, nice" Xoria commented as she looked in on the rooms that had been accorded to them. "It's been a long time since we got to stay in rooms this nice. I think we owe it to ourselves, don't you?"

Cyrus agreed. "They're having some kind of impromptu festival tonight, I think we should be there, so let's all get some rest. The festival might be a good opportunity for us to find out more about the town, and the Water Shrine."

"Sounds good" Teraptus said.

Sav'ran came out of the other room. "We have a slight problem"

"And that is?" Teraptus asked.

"They hooked us up with two rooms, each with only two beds."

"Can we move one?" Xoria asked.

Sav'ran shook his head. "They're big, comfy beds. I don't think even Cyrus, Ter, and I combined could move one very far. That's if they even fit through the doors."

"Well, we'll have to tell them that we need just one more nice room and-"

Cyrus cut her off. "We already know these are the only two rooms like it in the inn."

"Well" Teraptus said, "I guess I'll just go get a simple one-person room for myself then, you guys can-"

"Oh stop it Ter" Xoria said, "no need to be so noble. You think we'd sleep well knowing you're not comfortable?"

"Then how else will we-"

"Cyrus, Sav, you guys take that room, Teraptus, you're rooming with me."

Teraptus' jaw dropped, Sav'ran raised an eyebrow, and Cyrus tried very hard to conceal a smirk. "Umm…Xoria, I don't think we should…"

"Why not? There's two beds, I'm not suggesting anything improper. Besides, if we put both our heads together, we should be able to learn more about the accouterments that Bahamut gave us, and about that gauntlet we found in the castle"

Teraptus had no coherent argument against her. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he wanted to form one.

* * *

Colorful lanterns strewn on lines stretching from pole to pole lit up the town square. There was music and dancing, and food. The Light Warriors noticed that there wasn't a whole lot of food, but chose not to mention it. Much of the world had been on hard times, it was clear that the people of Onlak were no exception to this, and that they hid their suffering behind a veil of joviality.

The joy seemed very sincere, though. The music was vibrant, the laughter, quite real. The Light Warriors were, as they had expected, the guests of honor at the party. The entire town showed up to welcome them to Onlak. Children had drawn pictures of them, which they were presented with, and almost everyone in the town wanted to hear a repeat of their story about killing the zombie dragon in the castle of challenges. Brazden, the Cardian dragon who had greeted them upon their arrival, confirmed their tales of Bahamut and of the pacts between Men and Dragons, pacts which he was presently in Onlak to renew, feeling, as he did, very strongly about peaceful man-dragon relations. After some initial speeches welcoming the heroes, the party got underway. Adding to the festival atmosphere, the Light Warriors all demonstrated some of their particular talents, Xoria and Teraptus creating terrific visual effects by casting their spells into the air, and Cyrus impressed many townsfolk with feats of Strength. Sav'ran displayed his incredible agility, performing nearly impossible acrobatics, all while maintaining his balance on a log no wider than his leg. Afterwards, the festival began in earnest, with dancing and singing all around.

"Hey handsome, wanna dance?" Sav'ran looked up to the outstretched hand of the most beautiful and exotic looking woman he had ever seen. She had blue-green hair that seemed to shimmer in the light. She was toned and shapely, her blue dress clinging to her in interesting ways, and her eyes sparkled with joy and delight.

"I'd love to" he responded, taking her hand and allowing himself to be led to the dance floor.

Teraptus and Xoria watched from where they had been sitting with Sav'ran. Cyrus was still over with Brazden and some of the townsfolk, chatting away. Even from afar, they could tell that he was telling tales of their exploits, but far from being a braggart, Xoria knew he was also trying to fish for information about the Water Shrine…and perhaps Garland as well.

Her eyes were drawn to the dance floor, where several other people had been dancing. They began to make more room for Sav'ran and his partner to dance, as both of them exhibited a grace unlike anything the other townsfolk had shown. Not to say that no one in town could dance, but that Sav'ran and the woman with him suddenly put them all to shame. Their moves were fluid, elegant, and completely in concert with one another. Even Cyrus and the group with him stopped talking long enough to watch the pair.

On the dance floor, Sav'ran was enjoying himself immensely. Moving with this woman, it was as if they were one. They way they moved together, it seemed as though every movement, every step, was anticipated in each others' eyes. The song that they had been dancing to picked up tempo as it reached it's finale, and ended on a strong note. Sav'ran found himself holding the woman around her waist with his left arm, and her left leg was up around his hip, his right hand holding it close to him. Their eyes were locked with each other intensely. There was silence for a moment, and then applause as everyone watching praised the couple.

"You're a great dancer" she said, her smile dazzling him.

"You, too" he responded, "the way you move…" his hand moved up her thigh just a little bit.

She giggled, pulling away from him for a moment and looking down shyly. She looked up again, her smile lighting up her whole face. "You like the way I dance? I love moving my legs. It's so wonderful to be able to dance. I love to dance. We don't hold many celebrations anymore, I feel like I hardly ever get to dance."

She left the dance floor and wandered over to where some of the older villagers were handing out refreshments. Sav'ran followed. "What's your name?"

She smiled at him and winked.

* * *

"Wow" Teraptus said, "that…that was amazing."

"Yeah, it was" Xoria said softly, a wistful tone in her voice.

"Kind of intimidating, huh?" Teraptus said with a little laugh.

Xoria looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well…you know…tough act to follow and such"

Xoria looked back out to the dance floor. Dancing had resumed by everyone else, but at a slower pace. Then again, it was a slower song. Must be a local folk song. Many of the younger folk in town had paired off into couples and were dancing slowly. "Doesn't look too tough to me" she said, a veiled suggestion present in her eyes.

Teraptus looked at her. She returned his gaze steadily, her lips half-parted, waiting, hoping for him to say something more. He turned away. She sighed and looked back to the dance floor, disappointed.

"Xoria, ah…"

"Yes?" she said, still looking at the dance floor, not getting her hopes up.

"Would, uh…that is…would you…I mean…do you want to, uh…d-d-, uh…."

She looked up at him, biting her lip, but unable to keep from smiling ear nonetheless. "I'd love to dance Teraptus, thank you"

She took his hand which she noticed was a little bit sweaty. He still looked nervous, albeit happy as she led him to the dance floor.

* * *

Not too far away, Cyrus looked over and noted the two mages finding a spot on the dance floor. Teraptus seemed real nervous, and Xoria had to place his hand on her hip for him, taking the other in hers. They started at a slow pace, doing little more than swaying back and forth together. Xoria's eyes never left Teraptus' face, and Cyrus knew she was smiling. Teraptus, for his part, seemed to grow more confident and began taking more control, taking the lead of a simple, yet elegant dance. He was actually a very good dancer.

Cyrus turned his attention back to the woman with whom he'd been speaking. "I'm sorry, I was distracted by my companions out there. Now, you were saying the shrine used to be in the water, right off shore here?"

"Oh yes" the woman said, pleased that Sir Cyrus was taking such an interest in her town. "They say it was close enough for people to travel on little boats to every day for worship ceremonies."

"Worship ceremonies?"

"Yes. Like you said, it was a shrine devoted to Water, and the gods of the sea would be pleased if we brought them offerings, and in return we would receive more bountiful harvest from the sea. Very important to a port town, you know."

"Yes, I imagine. What happened to it?"

"Well, no one knows for sure. They say it just sank into the sea."

Cyrus mouth fell open. "It's…_under_ the sea? Are you sure?"

"Well of course I'm sure, everyone knows where it is now. Some of the younger folk have devised some kind of, oh, I don't know, underwater-boat of sorts that they've used to go down there. They've seen it, almost directly under where it used to be. Very deep though, and dangerous. Last time they went down there, their boat was chased by some big sharks. Curious, since sharks don't usually inhabit waters this close to land…"

"I thought you just said no one knew what happened to it"

"Well, we don't. We don't know _why_ it sank into the sea, we just know it's down there now. Some of the onlookers back when it sank say they _swear_ that they saw tentacles or something wrap around the base of the shrine, _pulling_ it into the water. How ridiculous is that? Do you know how big something would have to be to do that? Preposterous. That whole family is always seeing things."

"What family?"

"The man who claimed to have seen something drag it down. He was supposedly a bit senile. His whole family's delusional. That Koppe boy, over there," she pointed, "he's the latest one in that family to start telling whoppers. Why, a few months back, he started getting all excited, claiming he saw something bright fall from the sky, as if one of the stars came down from the heavens. Silly boy."

Cyrus nodded, noting the boy. "What happened then?"

The woman's face saddened. "Oh it just went bad after that. Water always seemed more dangerous, more storms. I mean, we'd been having bad weather for a long time before that, but afterwards…whooh! It was like nature herself was angry at humanity."

Cyrus nodded. "We've seen phenomena like that before. Well…thank you very much for telling me all this."

"Oh no problem, sugar. Why so curious anyway? Not a whole lot you can do about it, unless you can breathe water and lift a temple up out of the sea."

Cyrus smiled at her. "You never know. We _are_ mighty heroes after all. We may just decide to do just that."

The woman laughed and began making her way back to the party. "Have a good night" she called back to him. He nodded and waved.

Not far from him, he noticed that Brazden was looking at him in an appraising fashion. Cyrus walked over to the dragon, whose eyes never left his.

"You heard most of that, I assume?"

"I do not mean to eavesdrop, but I do have rather keen hearing. And I _was_ curious about the Water Shrine as well."

"You know about Lukhin's prophecy then?"

"Lukhin?" Brazden said with some surprise. "No, Sir Knight, the prophecy is much older than Lukhin. Bahamut spoke the prophecy over four hundred years ago, at the time of the coming of the fiends. We all hoped that the warriors of light would appear sooner than this but…"

"Better late than never, eh?" Cyrus said, smiling.

"Indeed" and if dragons had lips supple enough to smile, Brazden would have as well.

"So…you have any ideas as to how we're supposed to get to a Shrine and defeat a Fiend that's been underwater for two centuries?"

"Hmmm…" Brazden thought. "Oxyale would allow you to breathe underwater."

"Oxyale? What's that?"

"Oxyale is a type of magic water…like a potion, really. Drinking it allows the imbiber to breathe water."

"For how long?"

"Oh, indefinetely, as I understand it."

"Sounds like powerful stuff."

"Oh, it is"

"So where can we find it and how much does it cost?"

"Cost? Oh, no. Oxyale can only be made by a nereid, a water sprite, and fairies of any kind don't give away gifts lightly. You'd have to do a pretty significant favor for a water fairy for her to make you some Oxyale."

"Great. Just great. And where do I find a water fairy?"

"Well, I'd have to check my notes and my maps, and probably consult with my colleague here in town. I'll get back to you in the morning, deal?"

"Sounds great"

* * *

The party had died down and only a few of the townsfolk were still present in the square. The band had gone home, but a soft song still wound through the town square. Cyrus, sitting on a bench, softly strummed the lute that Princess Sarah had given him. He'd been kind of lax in practicing, like he told Sarah he would, but he still was able to play the slow, gentle Cornelian melody. Sav'ran lay next to him on the bench, savoring every bite of the last piece of cake he had managed to nick from the table as it was being cleared.

Teraptus and Xoria, for their part, were dancing again. This time they were alone on the dance floor, and rather than an actual dance, they were once again just swaying back and forth. This time they held each other closer, and Xoria rested her head on Teraptus' shoulder, both of his hands wrapped around her waist as he held her close.

Cyrus stopped playing as he saw the young man he had been keeping his eyes out for. He set the lute down and called the boy over to join them. When the music stopped, Teraptus and Xoria stopped dancing and looked over to Cyrus. He had called one of the younger townsfolk over to him and they knew it was time, they walked over to join the conversation.

"So…Koppe, is it? I hear you saw something fall form the sky a few months back?"

The youth scowled, he looked to be only a year or two younger than them. "Aww, man, who told you that? It's bad enough no one in the town believes me, they don't gotta get the visiting heroes to make fun of me, too."

"Make fun of you?" Xoria said as she approached. "Honey, we believe you. We want to know more."

"You…you believe me?"

The Light Warriors nodded.

"Why?"

"Because," Teraptus said, "we know that the reason the Water Shrine sank into the sea was because of a powerful Fiend. Your ancestor was the only one who saw anything, but nobody believed him. Since we know he wasn't crazy after all, we figure that your family's so-called propensity for storytelling may very well be a propensity for seeing what's really going on when no one else does."

"Wow, you mean my ancestor wasn't crazy?"

"Not as far as we know, no"

"Tell us more about what _you_ saw, Koppe" Sav'ran prodded.

"Well, I was up late, looking at the stars. There were no clouds that night and the stars were beautiful. That's when I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"Something streaking through the air. It was bright, and colorful, and shining with all kinds of light."

"Could you see what it was?" Cyrus asked, trying very hard not to sound like he didn't believe the boy.

"Well, here's the problem. People here think I just saw a shooting star, but I'm telling you, I'm pretty sure…" he leaned in close to them, "it was a robot."

"A robot" Sav'ran said, his voice neutral.

"I'd laugh but we've seen stranger" Teraptus reminded him.

"True," Sav'ran said, shrugging.

"Can I ask you guys something?"

"Shoot"

"Did you guys come here in a flying boat?"

"Yes we did, did you see us?"

"Yeah, but I didn't tell anyone, because I thought they wouldn't believe me. Wow, this is great" Koppe said. "No one ever believes me. The family reputation is so hard to escape. You almost gotta leave town to do it."

"Leave town?" Xoria asked. "Where would you go? Just run away in the wilderness?"

"Naw, become an adventurer, like you guys. My uncle left town. From what I hear, his reputation was real important to him. He couldn't stand to have people ridicule him and talk down to him, which they always did, they do to all my family members, even the ones who don't go talking about strange things, like my uncle."

"When did he leave?" Cyrus asked, a suspicion growing within him.

"Oh, I don't really know. I never knew him. Uncle Garland left when my mom was still pregnant with me."

* * *

"Uncle Garland, huh? That makes him, like, your stepbrother or something, right? Step-cousin?"

"I don't wanna talk about it Sav" Cyrus grumbled as he finished removing his armor, and sat down on his bed in the room they shared.

"I think you should. It might make you feel better."

"Garland never married my mother, okay? He's not my father in any kind of legitimate sense. No, that kid is NOT my cousin."

"Whoah there tiger, calm down." Sav'ran said as he sat on his own bed.

The door to their room swung open and two very excited wizards came in babbling and waving the gauntlet around.

"You guys aren't gonna believe this!"

"The gauntlet, it-"

"There's power here-"

"-can blast anything-"

"-anyone can use it, and-"

Cyrus held up a hand, halting them, "Whoah, whoah, one at a time. What's going on?"

Teraptus smiled, the wizard mark on his cheek seemed to sparkle blue a little bit with his mood. "This gauntlet. Xoria and I were able to figure out what it does."

"And that is?" Sav'ran inquired.

Xoria supplied that information "It contains powerful lightning magic, and the gauntlet is it's own reservoir and conduit for the spell."

"Once again, in the common tongue, for those of us who _don't_ speak mage."

Teraptus smiled. "It casts a spell identical to the second-tier lightning spell that I can cast. And it's activated by a command word, which means that _anybody_ can use it."

Cyrus and Sav'ran looked at each other surprised. "That is good news."

"Yeah, especially since we'll be in the Water Shrine, and aquatic creatures rarely have any kind of significant resistance to magic, and are usually especially vulnerable to lightning magic."

Xoria took the gauntlet from Teraptus and handed it to Sav'ran. "And look what happens when different people wear it. Go on."

Sav'ran reluctantly took the big, plate mail gauntlet and put it over his right hand, as he did, the gauntlet changed and became made of leather, although it retained metal tips on the backs of his knuckles, and there were metal lightning bolts on the sides. "Interesting…"

"What's the command word?" Cyrus asked.

"Aegis." Teraptus answered him. "But remember, it's a command, not a request, you have to put some will into it to make it work. Just focus on what you want to zap, aim the gauntlet at it, and say 'Aegis!' And there you go, instant spell."

"This is good. Why don't you guys hold onto it for now." Sav'ran removed it and it returned to its metal state. "We have to get up in the morning, we should all get some rest."

* * *

Brazden met them all in the town square in the morning and led them to one of the larger houses in town. He knocked once perfunctorily and then let himself in, ducking low and crouching to get his massive bulk inside the doorframe. The Light Warriors followed.

"This your place?" Cyrus asked him.

"No, sir, this would be _my_ home." Came a voice from further inside.

They all looked towards the source of the voice and a rather thin man with dirty blond hair was entering the room with a large map in his arms. He set the map down on the table and bid them all to come closer.

Brazden nodded. "This is Dr. Unne. He's a scholar who studies the cultural differences of peoples all over the world."

"Not all over the world, my scaly friend," Dr. Unne said, adjusting his large spectacles over his face. "I never knew about your society in the Cardian Isles until recently. But I _have_ been to Mt. Duergar, Elfheim, Cornelia, Pravoca, Melmond, Crescent Lake, Gaia, and have made peaceful contact with some more…unusual peoples, but all in all-"

"Wait a second," Sav'ran said, "where's this Gaia you spoke of? I've never heard of it."

"Funny you should ask, my young elven friend, as it's quite relevant to the matter that Brazden asked me to look up for you."

"How so?"

"Ah, perhaps I should get to the matter I was researching for you. Your answer will come in time." The others nodded. "Good. Now, you're looking for Oxyale, yes? Well, as you may have heard, this is something that only a nereid can make for you. Unfortunately, about some 200 years ago, an event that I would likely assume is connected to the corruption of the Water Shrine, the world lost many of its benevolent water spirits."

"What happened to them?" Xoria asked.

"Well, the corruption of Water made many of the sea's more monstrous inhabitants more ferocious and powerful. Many of the fey folk who make their homes in the water were destroyed, save for a few of the hardier ones, or the crossbreeds, such as the merfolk."

"Did any nereids survive the monstrous invasion of the sea?"

"Well, yes and no. The remaining fey of the sea gathered together, pooled their collective magick and left this world to return to the Seele Court permanently."

"The Seele Court?" Sav'ran asked, an eyebrow raised.

"So all the nereids are gone?" Cyrus asked.

"Just hold on, I'm getting there. The Seele Court is a magical Realm to which all fairies are connected. Not long thereafter, when monsters began plaguing the rest of the world, many of the world's other fairies followed suit. Now only a handful remain." Dr. Unne paused then. "No interruptions this time? Good. As I was saying, only a few fairies remain. To find a water sprite, you would need to find a body of water that is in no way connected to the sea. Not fed by the sea, not emptying into the sea, for either way, the corruption of the sea would creep up to it and harm the resident nereid."

"Where would we find such a spring?" Teraptus asked as politely as he could.

"Up in the mountains, likely. Of course, you could travel for months in any given mountain range and never find such a spring, or if you did, find one that no longer has a fairy in residence. But, as your luck would have it I happen to know of such a mountain spring, AND I'm sure that it's resident nereid is still there."

"You're sure?" Cyrus asked, excitement in his voice.

"Of course I'm sure, my boy, I spoke with her myself, some seven or eight years ago."

"Where?"

Dr. Unne pointed to a small town on his map, one located at the far northern end of the eastern continent, possibly the furthest northern town in the world, if his map was entirely accurate. "Right here. Gaia, or Hawkeye, as some of the inhabitants call it. Just outside their town down a little winding path in the woods is a beautiful little spring. The whole town knows about the fairy. She's pretty friendly, as far as fairies go."

"Will she make us some Oxyale? What kind of service would we have to do for her?"

"That I don't know. It's entirely possible that just telling her that you are the Light Warriors and furnishing some kind of proof to that effect will be enough. I'm sure she'd love to see the corruption of the sea reversed."

There were looks of amazement all around. "How did you know…?" Teraptus began. "We didn't tell anyone that term, or about the prophecy."

Dr. Unne looked at him. "Really. I'm a scholar, I've been just about everywhere. And believe it or not, many of the people of this world have some kind of inkling about the prophecy of the Light Warriors who will rid the world of it's troubles. That, and, uh, well I visited Cornelia a few months ago. You were the talk of the town then, being paraded around after rescuing the Princess. You looked a lot different then."

Looks of amazement continued. "Yeah," Xoria said finally, "the blessing of Bahamut changed us all rather dramatically."

"Well, I would love to discuss this at further length, but you have a quest to be getting on. I've no doubt you can be in Gaia within the hour in that Lufenian airship of yours."

"You…airship…" Cyrus was at a loss for words.

"I don't miss much, I know. That's why I'm a scholar."

"What do you know about the Lufenians?" Xoria asked intently.

"Not much, as I can't understand a word they say, and that I've never met one outside their little town, besides you, my Lady" he bowed his head to her respectfully.

Xoria's mind was ablaze with questions. "Town? Where? I'm not Lufenian, I'm from Cornelia."

Dr. Unne held up his hand. "Your questions can wait until later. The Lufenians, and my limited knowledge of them, have little or no connection with the Water Shrine."

"He's right, Xoria" Cyrus said. "We should get going. Thank you very much for your help, Dr. Unne, if there's anything we can do to repay you…"

"Oh, I expect a full report on what exactly was down there in the Water Shrine, AND I'd love to hear more about the other Shrines that you've visited already." Dr. Unne smiled pleasantly. "And if you DO learn anything more about the Lufenian people, or it's language, I'd appreciate it if you shared it with me, maybe a ride on that airship of yours…" He stopped. "I'm sorry, I was rambling. You mighty heroes should get going. Brazden and are gonna finish planning our trip."

"Trip?"

"Yes. Renewing human-dragon relations doesn't start and end in Onlak. But I've kept you long enough." And with that, Dr. Unne pleasantly escorted them out the door.

* * *

They flew westward, over a desert with sporadic oases and across the sea until they came to another landmass, this one mostly mountainous. Nestled within a small valley high in the north of this mountain range, they found a town, a village, really. They brought their airship down to land outside the village. All in all, the trip had taken a little under an hour.

People gathered at the entrance to the town as the Light Warriors entered. They stared at the Light Warriors. They stared at the airship. No one spoke.

Cyrus came forward to speak with them. "Hail, residents of Gaia, I am Cyrus of Cornel-" Xoria nudged him in the ribs.

"What?"

"The Cardian Isles, Cyrus. You're a Knight of the Cardian Isles, ergo you hail from the Cardian Isles."

"Oh, right, good looking out."

"Er, sorry. I am Cyrus, Dragon Knight of the Cardian Isles. These are my companions, Sav'ran of Elfheim, the White Wizard Xoria, and the Archmage Teraptus, of Melmond."

The people looked and nodded.

"Ah, errr…we mean you no harm" Again he was nudged by Xoria, but this time she stepped forward and began talking to them.

"I'm really sorry to be barging down on you guys in such an odd manner. I know the airship must be odd. We've just come to visit your town, maybe learn a little bit more about you and the surrounding area."

"Well, uh, make yourselves at home, I guess" one of the villagers said. "Town's got an inn if you need a place to stay, we got a library, a few craftsmen, a few wizards call the place home…" The crowd had begun to disperse as people resumed their business.

"Anything I can help you with?" the villager who had spoken asked.

"Yes, actually, we're interested to know more about the surrounding area."

"Well this here's Hawkeye. Don't know where you heard the name Gaia. I mean, the place is called Gaia, but most of the residents call it Hawkeye, on account of the way the peninsula is shaped and our location on it. There's a village a ways south of here we call it 'Hawkwing'. Don't know much more than that, though, the people there speak a strange language which I can't for the life of me understand."

Xoria gasped. "The Lufenian village…"

"I don't know much more than I told you about them, miss. To the southwest is the Mirage Desert. We call it that because of the Mirage Tower in the middle."

"Mirage Tower?" Teraptus asked. "The tower is an illusion?"

"Well, we don't know. It seems real enough, but no one can figure out how to get in. That's why we call it Mirage Tower. Even our resident wizards can't get in, and they're no slouches when it comes to magic."

"You have wizards here? Hmm…maybe we can pay them a visit and compare notes."

Cyrus stepped forward. "Actually, sir, the main reason we're here is that we understand your town has a spring with a fairy…"

"Oh…" the villager's face fell.

"What's wrong?"

"Well…it's…I guess I'd better show you." With that the villager turned on his heel and bid them to follow. They followed him through the village, and Teraptus and Xoria made sure to note where their guide had pointed out the residences of the local White and Black wizards who lived here. He led them north out of town, down a small winding path through the woods until they came to the spring.

The spring was a beautiful serene little pond with brilliant blue water and a sense of peace throughout the area.

"Okay…so…what's the problem?" Cyrus asked.

The villager sighed. "Normally the fairy would have shown herself by now, if she hadn't already been dancing on the water when we arrived. But something's happened. A few months ago, a traveling caravan came to town, had some kind of magic wagon that allowed it to move from place to place. They stayed for about a week, but when they left…the fairy was gone."

"You think someone in the caravan did something to the fairy?" Xoria asked.

The villager nodded. "I think she's probably still alive, though. She's connected to the spring. If something were to ever happen to her, a change would be reflected in the spring I'm guessing."

"This is just _great_" Sav'ran muttered. "How are we supposed to figure out what happened to the fairy, where she is, or how to get her back?"

The villager spread his hands. "I don't know. If I may ask, why so interested in the fairy?"

"We need Oxyale to enter the Water Shrine" Sav'ran said absently.

"The Water Shrine…" the villager said. Then it seemed as if he somehow remembered something. "Light Warriors…" he said quietly.

Cyrus nodded and they showed him their crystals. "We spoke with Dr. Unne in Onlak, he told us that Gaia had a fairy that might be able to make Oxyale for us."

"Ah yes, Dr. Unne" the villager nodded. "Very polite man, spent a lot of his time down here, with the fairy. Also tried going on down to Hawkwing, didn't have much luck communicating with them, however."

"You think Dr. Unne might know something more about this caravan?" Sav'ran asked.

"It's worth a try"

"Excellent. Thank you for your help."

Before they left, Xoria and Teraptus wanted to visit the respective practitioners of their arts. They split into two groups, Cyrus going with Xoria and Sav'ran going with Teraptus.

A little bell rang as Teraptus and Sav'ran entered the building. The walls of the room they were in were decorated with strange artwork, none of it entirely realistic, and yet they saw some clear images of towers, monsters, knights, and more, all very stylized.

A man entered the room, dressed in a simple tunic and breeches. His head was completely bald, and a mark, much like Teraptus' spread out and over his bald head. "Hello? Ah! The newcomers! I was hoping you'd be coming by. So rare an opportunity to meet a colleague."

"Colleague?" Teraptus asked with an amused look.

"Well, yes, you ARE a Black Mage, are you not?"

"I am. Although I've recently been awarded the title of Archmage from the Dragon Lord Bahamut"

The bald man's eyes widened. "Well, then, archmage, I guess the question is…what can I do for you?"

* * *

"It's outrageous! And furthermore, it's an insult. 'Colleagues', yeah right. Some fraternity there."

"It's not that bad, Teraptus, and look at all we got out of it. Besides, what exactly _were_ you planning on spending your hard-earned dragon hoard wealth on?"

Teraptus suddenly blushed a little bit. "Ummm…nevermind, forget I said anything."

Sav'ran raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Something for Xoria, huh?"

Teraptus nodded. "I don't know what to get her though. The bracers we got from Bahamut far outstrip any magical protection that can be purchased. She doesn't need a new weapon or anything. Can't think of anything else that'd be useful…."

Sav'ran shook his head. "You really don't get women do you?"

Teraptus was confused. "What do you mean?"

Sav'ran smiled. "Let me give you a little tip. Buy her something pretty, something nice. Doesn't necessarily have to be something that has any kind of actual purpose in our quest, in fact, the more beautiful, but absolutely _useless_ it is, the more she'll love it."

"Huh?"

"Like jewelry, for instance, women _love_ jewelry."

"She still has that necklace that Vincentio bought her…I guess I could buy her a nice ring. She doesn't wear any rings right now. Oh, wait…maybe she doesn't like rings then…"

Sav'ran shook his head, debating on whether or not to tell Teraptus what giving a ring to a girl meant. Then he smiled and decided not to. "I think she'd love a ring, Teraptus. Maybe she doesn't wear one because she hasn't had the money to buy one, or hasn't seen one she likes yet? You got the money to buy one now."

"Really? What kind of ring should I get her? One that goes with her outfit, probably."

Sav'ran tried very hard to keep a straight face. "Diamonds. Definitely. She wears a lot of white, diamonds are white, you should buy her a diamond ring."

"Really? You think-oh, wait her she comes now with Cyrus."

Cyrus and Xoria met them where they were waiting near the airship. "Hey, how'd it go?" Xoria asked.

"Lousy," Teraptus answered. "But I learned a few new spells. He even sold Sav'ran here a book on Black Magic, and he's gonna try to learn a few spells."

"Really?" Cyrus asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why Black magic Sav?"

"I figure there's some stuff in there that could be very useful. Sleep spells, invisibility spells, and there are some spells that can be used to enhance one's blade. I think I saw Vince use it before."

Xoria nodded. "I'm glad you guys made out okay, the White Mage in town was a kind of grandmotherly old lady, and get this…she CHARGED me to share some spell knowledge."

"You too?" Teraptus gawked. "Man, and I thought I was the only one getting ripped off."

Xoria shook her head. "Nope, but I also learned some valuable spells, including teleportation spells and get this: the Wizard here knows a spell that can bring the recently dead back to life. Assuming, of course, that the subject died of unnatural causes."

Worry crossed Teraptus' face. "Are you thinking…"

"Vince? No. Even if I wanted to, the spell would require me to have his body present and in healthy condition. I don't know that I _could_."

"But you don't want to?" Sav'ran asked, picking up on something she had said.

Xoria sighed. "No, not really. I've been thinking about it, and you know what? He couldn't be trusted. Even though he switched to our side at the end, that still shows an inconsistency in his loyalties, and more importantly, we have learned that involving non-Light Warriors in Light Warrior business can be bad for one's health."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Oh! Almost forgot to mention. She sold Cyrus a similar book to the one you got for Sav, this one on White Magic."

"We could use a backup healer," Cyrus chimed in, "also conserves our potion supply."

"Which shouldn't be a problem now anyway. Cyrus here decided to buy out the alchemist's _entire_ stock of healing potions, and antivenin potions. Guy looked thrilled."

Sav'ran and Teraptus laughed at that.

"Shall we go?" Sav'ran suggested.

* * *

This time they didn't bother trying to enter Onlak under a low profile, they set the airship down just outside the town and headed straight for Dr. Unne's house. All in all, they'd only been gone about 3 or 4 hours. Some of the townsfolk were staring at the airship, however.

"Didn't Koppe say something about a flying boat this morning?"

"Oh Lord, don't tell me you believe Koppe of all people?"

"He's bound to be right eventually, right? Even a blind squirrel finds a nut."

They knocked on Dr. Unne's door and awaited his answer. After a few minutes, they knocked again.

"Come in." came a voice from inside.

They went in and found Dr. Unne and Brazden right where they left them, at the table. Dr. Unne looked puzzled. "Why didn't you just knock and then come in? Everyone else does."

The Light Warriors had no answer to that, but they _did_ have some new information for Unne, which they exchanged.

"Magic caravan, huh? Well, I don't know a whole lot about Underhill's operation, but I do know that his daughter lives in town. She's probably out playing with the other children right now. She's about 7 years old or so, I'd say, and she has blonde hair, frequently in a ponytail."

"You never forget anything, do you?"

Dr. Unne smiled. "I have an eidetic memory. I can recall just about anything. Makes for easy bookkeeping."

The Light Warriors left his house and went looking for the little girl. They found her playing some kind of game that involved a stuffed leather ball, and trying to avoid being hit by it.

"Excuse me, little girl?" Xoria asked, having been unanimously voted by the others as the one to approach her.

The girl stopped playing and looked at her. "Hello, Miss Hero." Xoria smiled.

"Is your daddy a merchant named Underhill?"

The little girl nodded and smiled. "He has a magic wagon. He can go anywhere."

"Do you know where he is right now?"

The little girl nodded. "He's in one of the Oases in the desert out that way" she pointed west. Just then, she was hit by the ball in the shoulder. "Hey! No fair! I was talking to the Hero Lady!" She picked up the ball and began chasing the little rascal who threw it at her. Xoria smiled. They had what they needed.

* * *

When you make your living selling various wares from around the world out of a magical wagon that teleports from place to place, you tend to shrug off a lot of weird things. Cities inside of mountains or built into trees were rather tame on that list. Lakes shaped like moons and councils of wise men hardly registered on the weirdness scale.

But flying boats…flying boats were pretty weird. Not too weird, really, but a step up from the mundane quasi-magical sights that surrounded Underhill every day. Thus, it was with a quite calm and casual demeanor that he greeted the crew of the flying ship just as he would any other, perfectly normal customer.

"Hello, customer, and good day to you. Is there perhaps something in my humble shop of magical wares that I can provide you?"

If the customers were in any way shocked at his lack of being shocked, they hid it well.

"Actually" the young man in armor and a cape started, "we're VERY interested in finding out _exactly_ what kind of an operation you run here."

Underhill blinked. It almost sounded like the boy was accusing him of something. "Good sir, I procure magical artifacts and knickknacks from all over the world, and use this wagon here," he gestured behind him to his wagon, which provided much of the support for the pavilion they were currently in, "to travel to other parts of the world and sell them"

"And how, exactly, do you _procure_ these things?" the little one in the green asked him. Odd, Underhill almost hadn't noticed him until he stepped forward and spoke, almost as if he hadn't been there.

"I buy them, if possible. Sometimes I find an ancient place and collect them myself. I also know a few mages who make interesting things for me."

"What kinds of 'knickknacks' do you have?"

Underhill smiled. Customers after all. "I have magic weapons, armors, interesting everyday magic, such as flower pots that keep flowers in them alive, self-fluffing pillows…"

"Any magical creatures?" the woman in white asked him, interrupting.

"Sometimes. When I do, they often sell quickly. Something in particular you're looking for?"

"Yes," said the warrior, a bit testily, "a fairy, specifically, the fairy that belongs to the spring in Gaia. Have one?"

"Ah, yes, the little water fairy. One of the local boys showed me how to lure her close with sweets, then I got her in a jar, and….Presto! Fairy in a jar!"

The warrior and the woman looked angry. The young man with the wizard mark on his face spoke up. "Why? Why steal a fairy and bottle her up?"

"Profit, young man, profit. Some of the nomadic tribes that wander this desert have a serious concern for their water's safety and purity. I figured I'd sell them a water sprite, she could inhabit their water and make it pure for them."

"So you sold her already?"

Underhill sighed. "No, unfortunately, she seems tied to her pond, she won't inhabit another one. Looks like this particular sale is a bust."

The mood of the group brightened considerably. "Well then," the warrior looking one said. "We'd be happy to do you the service of taking her off your hands for you, so you don't have to bother returning her yourself."

"We won't even charge you" the little one in green said.

Underhill smiled. He smelled a profit here. "I'll tell you what, why don't you just buy her off me? Then she's yours to do with as you please."

The woman sputtered. "BUY her? You just said yourself that she wasn't worth anything to you! Just give her to us! We're going to take her home!"

"Ah, but young lady, just because my intended customers did not want her doesn't mean no one else will. After all, she's very pretty to look at." Underhill went back to the wagon and brought out the jar with the fairy in it. Inside the jar, the fairy was shining brightly. The jar was filled with water, and her silky garments flowed all around her within it. She glowed a sort of blue-green color, and she was NOT happy about being in the jar in the first place. "And furthermore," Underhill continued, "she's clearly of worth to _you_, so I don't see why I shouldn't get something out of it."

The warrior's hand went to his sword hilt as if to threaten.

Underhill held up his hand. "Threats will get you nowhere, sir. I can be back in this wagon and have the wagon go somewhere new in the time it would take you to reach me, so if you want the fairy, I'll thank you not to take another step." There were frustrated looks and angry glares at him.

Underhill didn't care. He'd be just as happy to be rid of the fairy AND these customers. "Let's see…I think about…oh, 3,000 Gil sound about right?"

"Three THOUSAND?" came the outraged reply.

"You know, I don't think I calculated that right, it surely must be more…." Underhill reached for his abacus.

"One thousand" the one in green proffered.

"Ridiculous, nonsense. 3,000 or no sale."

"Two thousand"

"Two thousand, Five Hundred" Underhill countered.

"Deal"

They shook hands and the money was exchanged. Underhill handed them the jar containing the fairy. As soon as he did so, he retreated into the wagon, unsure of what these unstable people were likely to do with him now that they had what they wanted. Once he was in the wagon, the tent was immediately sucked into the wagon after him, leaving the four standing in the open air of the desert oasis. Then he commanded the wagon to Cornelia. Cornelia was safe. Cornelia was normal.

* * *

Cyrus twsited the lid of the jar and it came open. Relieved, the fairy came to the surface and then flew out.

"Oh, thank you so much, Sir Knight!" she exclaimed in her tiny voice. "That horrible man would have kept me forever! Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Well, uh, yes, actually. You see, we're the Light Warriors, and-"

"The Light Warriors? Let me see your crystals!"

They all pulled out their crystals to show her. "Earth and Fire already! This is so exciting. Water might be a bit tough for you mortal types…" She gasped suddenly. "You need Oxyale! Oxyale could let you breathe underwater and be unhindered by the water."

They all smiled. "That was the idea…" Cyrus said.

"Well, if you can get me back home to my spring, I can get you some from my home at the bottom of the spring. Enough for all of you."

"Well then," Sav'ran said, "what are we waiting for?"

* * *

When they arrived again in Gaia, they hurried for the spring, noticing them, and noticing the fairy they carried, the townsfolk were overjoyed, and many of them followed them down to the spring.

When they reached the spring the fairy dove out and headed straight for the bottom, she came back up swiftly, following her were four very tiny bottles. She floated the bottles towards them, and they each took one.

"This is Oxyale, it will allow you to treat water as if it were air from the time you enter the water until you again reach the surface."

"Oh, so it only works once?" Sav'ran asked, seeming kind of sad.

"Each dose, yes, but these bottles magically refill their doses. You can drink from it as many times as you need to go underwater for."

"Thank you so much" Xoria said.

"No, thank _you_ Light Warriors. I owe you my freedom." The fairy smiled. "Now go save the world."

* * *

Before heading back to Onlak, Teraptus reminded them to swing by Mt. Duergar and give the adamantine to Smythe, the master smith that Teraptus knew. When they told him that they wanted to commission a sword made out of it, he was so overjoyed that there were actually tears in his eyes. He offered to make the sword for them at no cost.

Teraptus had some other business to conduct before they left, and the others waited patiently for him. When he returned, ready to leave, he wouldn't tell them what he'd been doing, but he seemed very happy indeed.

* * *

Obtaining permission to use the underwater boat in Onlak was easy. They had only to ask, literally. The proprietors of the boat were overjoyed that they could in some way assist the heroes in their quest.

The Light Warriors decided to get a full night's rest before continuing on in the morning. It was also that night that Teraptus decided to give something to Xoria…

"Umm, Xoria, can you come here for a second?"

Xoria stopped brushing her hair and turned away from the mirror. "What is it Ter?"

"I, umm…well, come here and I'll show you."

She walked over to where he was standing, looking at him expectantly. "Yes, Teraptus?"

"I, uh, I wanted to give you this. I mean, I got this for you, I wanted to get you something nice, and, uh…here…" Teraptus reached into his robes and pulled out her gift, but was rather nervous and dropped it. He kneeled to retrieve it, and was still on his knees when Xoria saw what it was.

"Oh!" she said, her hand going to her mouth and her eyes already brimming with tears. "Yes." She said in a tear-choked voice.

"Yes?" Teraptus was a little confused.

"Yes I'll marry you, Teraptus!" and she threw her arms around him and kissed him intensely. She pulled away from the dazed young man and squealed with delight. "Go ahead," she said, extending her left hand, ring finger towards him, "put it on me, I wanna see if it fits."

Still unsure of exactly what had just happened, Teraptus slid the platinum ring onto her finger. The large central diamond and the cluster of surrounding diamonds and platinum went very well with the airy bracers she hadn't yet taken off for the evening.

There was a knock at their door. "Come in," Xoria said, not taking her eyes off her fiancé, who looked very happy, but a little…lost.

Sav'ran and Cyrus entered the room. "What's all the noise about?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria turned to them, her eyes shining. "Teraptus just proposed to me! And I said yes!"

Cyrus smiled. "Congratulations, man!" He moved forward, helping Teraptus to his feet and patting him on the back while shaking his hand. "I didn't know you guys were that serious. Keeping it under wraps all this time, eh?" He winked. "That musta been what all that 'private Mage-talk' has been about, huh?"

Sav'ran, for his part, was trying very, VERY hard not to laugh. He had his hand over his mouth, concealing what had to be a very big smile. He knew it was, he could barely keep from laughing out loud.

"What is it Sav?" Xoria asked, looking at him oddly.

"Nothing," he said, in a voice that seemed a bit tight and high pitched, as he tried not to burst into loud laughter, "I'm just…I'm in shock." He pulled his hand away, revealing a very large, very genuine smile. "I'm happy for you, both of you. It's just…it's a bit of a surprise."

"I'll say," Cyrus said. "Well, you know, we all need our rest, so how about you lovebirds make sure you don't keep each other up all night, eh?" With that, he winked and left the room. Sav'ran followed suit.

* * *

I'm not sure if I wanna punch Sav'ran or hug him. Teraptus thought. He must have known that this was going to happen. I just wish I had known, too. Then I wouldn't have…well…if I had known for sure that she'd say yes, maybe I would have… Teraptus looked over to his fiancée, who was happily humming to herself as she brushed her hair before she went to bed. He smiled, then. That's right. She said 'yes', I can't believe this. This is unreal…and yet….it's amazing.

"Xoria…" he began.

"Yes darling?" she responded, looking at him from the mirror, not turning her head.

It's now or never, I guess "Uh…I…" Teraptus cleared his throat. "I love you."

The effect it had on her was instantaneous. She turned to face him directly, her face softening, her eyes glistening, and her mouth slightly open with her lips turned up at the corners. She immediately crossed over to where he lay on his bed and crawled into the bed with him. She took his face in both of her hands and looked deep into his eyes for just a moment before leaning in and kissing him deeply. It only took a moment for him to return her fervor. She broke the kiss with a slight gasp. "Oh, Teraptus, I love you, too."

Her words sent a warm rush through Teraptus' body. He felt stronger, weaker, smarter, dumber, and all of it at once. And yet he definitely felt more confident. His resolve tightening, he wrapped his arms around Xoria's supple waist and rolled her off of him and rolled on top of her in one motion. She gave a slight whoop as he did this without warning and very fast. He then brought his face up to hers. He touched his forehead to hers, his eyes closed, and then slowly brought his lips to hers. This kiss was softer, more gentle than hers, but had the same effect on both of them.

"Mmmmm" Xoria said when he pulled away and she finally opened her eyes to gaze up at Teraptus. She gazed over to the table next to them and the vanity, both of which had oil lamps on them, which would need to be put out, which would mean getting up and leaving each others' arms. Teraptus followed her gaze, and then returned his gaze to her face. He smiled, kissed her quickly, just once, and then extended his left hand to the nearest lamp. The flame on the wick suddenly became smaller until it vanished completely. Then he extended his hand towards the lamp on the vanity and did the same. He looked down at Xoria. In the moonlight through the window he could see that she was smiling, and looked like she was resisting the urge to…

She reached up and pulled him down to her for a deep kiss. During the kiss she rolled him over a bit so that her head was above his. When the kiss broke she looked at his moonlight-illuminated face. She smiled, kissed him once more, and then lay down next to him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder and her arms curled around his chest. She felt his arm around her as she lay there. Feeling safe, secure, and happy, she slept.

* * *

The town showed up to wish them luck as they headed to the dock towards the submersible vessel. There was fanfare, and people waving and cheering for them as they walked through the street. As they approached the dock, they were met with Brazden, Dr. Unne, and, strangely enough, the girl whom Sav'ran danced with at the festival.

"Do not underestimate the Water Fiend," Brazden warned. "Keep in mind what hangs in the balance. Restoring the Water Shrine will calm the seas and allow peaceful contact and trade to once again resume all over the world, reestablishing a new Golden Age."

Dr. Unne nodded. "I unearthed what I could regarding the layout of the Water Shrine. I wasn't able to find much, save that the altar is on the lowest level, and the living quarters were at the topmost. There are passages in the main foyer that reach down to the Shrine, but also another set of passages that lead straight from the living quarters down several floors to the Shrine. Sort of like a service entrance"

The dancer stepped forward to Sav'ran. Her eyes glistened and she closed in very close with him. "Mera…" he began, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"What you do is very brave, all of you. But you do not do it alone. If you look carefully, you may find aid in the Shrine. Not all of its inhabitants are monstrous, some yet seek the downfall of the Water Fiend, and may be willing to risk helping you."

"How can you be so sure?" Sav'ran asked.

Mera looked down, breaking eye contact with him. "Ah…you don't have time to waste. You should get going."

Sav'rav decided to drop it, and the Light Warriors climbed into the vessel, which really more closely resembled a large sealed barrel on its side, with portholes to the front and sides, a rudder, and some propellers in the back. As they got in, they noticed a seat placed over a set of pedals connected by axles to gears leading out to where the propellers would be.

"I'll drive" Cyrus offered and sat in the seat. Everyone else crammed rather uncomfortably in the bottom of the barrel and looked out the porthole in the front, easily the largest. As they closed and sealed the door in, Cyrus began pumping the pedals, while directing the steering bar downwards. The nose of the barrel tipped down and they began their descent into the depths.

* * *

The Shrine wasn't at all hard to find, once they'd cleared the large kelp bed that had grown not too far from the docks. It was, as they had heard, not too far out from town. The Shrine looked as if it had once been a magnificent temple, but had fallen badly into disrepair.

"Hmmm…" Teraptus said. "You know, this is the first Shrine we've been to that hasn't been enclosed in a natural fortification, such as a mountain, but rather is entirely man-made."

Sav'ran raised an eyebrow. "You think that might be relevant somehow?"

Teraptus shrugged. "I doubt it. But…look there, you see where the temple steps and the columns form the entrance? That would have been only slightly above the level of the water, right? Well if the altar is a level of two down from the foyer, that would mean that it was always underwater."

Xoria nodded. "You're going somewhere with this Ter, don't stop."

Teraptus scratched his head. "I don't know. This is more of a question than a discovery, but look at it this way. The Earth Shrine was always deep within the Earth, enclosed. The Fire Shrine was at the heart of a volcano, at the hottest point. The Water Shrine was always enclosed by water. That brings me to ask; where exactly can the Air Shrine be? Even the top of a mountain wouldn't make proper sense. And if it's flying up amongst the clouds somewhere, how can we reach it?"

"We've got a flying ship, don't we?" Sav'ran asked, clearly a rhetorical question.

Xoria shook her head. "No Sav, the airship can't go that high. Once you travel high enough the winds become too powerful, the airship would be lucky not to be torn apart, let alone steer it anywhere."

"Perhaps that has something to do with the corruption of the Air by the Air Fiend?" Teraptus suggested.

Xoria nodded. "It's likely. The inscriptions on the levistone lead me to believe that the airship was meant to be able to return to wherever it came from."

"Where…did it…come from?" Cyrus asked as he continued to pedal hard towards the Shrine.

Xoria shook her head and looked down. "That's the strange part. I don't know. It says it comes from Ysgard."

Sav'ran looked at her quizzically. "Your deity?"

"Yes, but the way it refers to 'returning to Ysgard' and 'coming from Ysgard' and 'the people of Ysgard' makes Ysgard sound like a _place_."

"Couldn't all of those also be relevant to a deity?" Teraptus asked.

"Except the last. The words that are used in 'the people of Ysgard' is a word that denotes place of origin, not inclination of faith or orientation. So it's more like 'the people _from_ Ysgard', rather than 'the _followers_ of Ysgard'"

"We're here" Cyrus announced as he steered the ship towards the temple steps.

They all took out their bottles of Oxyale and took a long draught. The liquid was warm and made the inside of their throats feel fuzzy, but otherwise, none of them noticed any kind of change.

"We all ready?" Sav'ran asked, adjusting the strap on his back that held his sword in place. Everyone else nodded.

"Let's hope this Oxyale stuff works," Cyrus said as he turned the hatch door open.

Water flooded in. The pressure from the depths caused the entire vessel to fill completely with water almost instantly. They were all thrown against the sides of the inside from the pressure.

Sav'ran instinctively held his breath at first. When he opened his eyes, he saw Teraptus and Xoria breathing normally, looking around as if surprised. He let out his breath and breathed in, almost expecting to feel the water fill his lungs. He felt nothing. It was as if there was no water.

"Are we all okay?" Cyrus asked, moving his arms around. "There seems to be no restriction of movement from the water, either."

"Unless we want it," Teraptus said, as he swam up towards the hatch. "This fairy magic is pretty potent stuff."

They all swam up and to the steps of the temple. They decided that it would be best to proceed on foot, in case there were any problems none of them knew how to fight in three-dimensional space. They would all be more comfortable on foot as well. Xoria cast her light spell and they entered the Water Shrine.

* * *

In its prime, the Water Shrine had been a tall, many-storied white stone building with aisles of columns lining the front of the building, as well as many of the interior hallways on the main floor. The main floor also consisted of several large rooms which the Light Warriors explored. Most of these rooms were empty. Others were not.

"This doesn't look good for us," Sav'ran said after they entered one of the rooms. The inhabitants of the room looked up, surprised to see intruders. There was a moment of silence and shock as the two groups surveyed each other. There were three large humanoids, almost as big as ogres, with blue-green, warty skin, aquatic trolls. With them were four scorpions as large as mastiffs with blue carapaces.

The silence lasted only a moment. The trolls barked something in their gutteral language, obviously a command to the scorpions, because the four creatures began scuttling forwards quickly. Sav'ran dove forward, swimming through the water, twisting and spinning as he did so. As he moved, the camoflage of his suit took effect and he disappeared before their eyes. The scorpions were unconcerned by this and charged forwards. Cyrus met the first one's attack on his shield, and then swung his sword and lopped off the thing's poisonous tail, then spun his sword in his hand and thrust it downwards into the creature's brain cavity.

Teraptus, wanting to conserve his magic, pulled the gauntlet from beneath his robes and slid it on over his gloved hand. It changed, becoming a set of rings on all his fingers with chains on the back of the fingers running to metal bars on the back of the hand. He extended his hand towards the oncoming scorpions, which were almost upon him. "Aegis!" he commanded, and a bolt of lightning arced from his outstretched hand and into the first scorpion, and then bouncing from it in a chain reaction into it's fellows. The first one was blasted to pieces by the thunderbolt, and the other two slowed down greatly. The loss of speed kept in Cyrus' reach, however, and the young knight finished it off.

There was a bellow from the back of the room and one of the trolls was now missing an arm. Sav'ran had appeared behind it and severed it with one strike, and was now delivering brutal slashes to its midsection. Cyrus rushed forward to assist him, as the other trolls attempted to save theiur comrade.

The last scorpion, singed by the lightning, but still dangerous, headed straight for Xoria. Unafraid, she held her staff at the ready waiting until just the moment when it reared back its tail to strike. When it did so, she smashed the butt of her staff down into the thing's head. It did not finish it immediately, however, and the tail still came down. There was a solid THUNK as the stinger imbedded itself into the staff and the scorpion now struggled to pull it free, slashing forward with its pincers.

Cyrus had come upon one of the trolls with its back to him, and he sliced it in two at the midsection. The second troll was busy trying to keep Sav'ran from hacking its companion to pieces, but to no avail, Sav'ran neatly and deftly sliced the first troll into pieces without taking a scratch himself. All that were left was one troll and a badly wounded scorpion.

"Stand back!" Teraptus shouted, "they have to be destroyed with fire!" He wasn't really sure how a fire spell would work underwater, but it was worth a shot. "Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" The red bead shot into the ground as usual, but what erupted beneath the scorpion, the remaining troll and the remains of the first two trolls was not fire, but scalding hot water and steam. The troll still standing screamed, a scream which ended in a gurgling sigh. The other two trolls, which had been twitching as they btried to regenerate, made no sound. And a sharp whistling sound came from the scorpion as it was boiled alive, it's shell turned a bright, angry red.

"Hmm" Sav'ran said, looking at the cooked scorpion. "Looks like a lobster"

Cyrus grunted. "You eat it then"

"Ah, no. Thanks all the same."

* * *

Both of the passages leading down had been caved in.

"Great," Cyrus growled, "how are we supposed to reach the Water Shrine now?"

"We go up," Xoria answered. "Dr. Unne said that there were passages from the topmost floor down to the Shrine."

A large shadow passed over them. They looked up to see an enormous white shark swim directly overhead, then down a hall and around a corner.

"There is no way that thing didn't see us" Teraptus said, a note of fear in his voice.

"Did you see the size of that thing?" Sav'ran said. "I've never seen one that huge!"

"Well, it's gone now, thank goodness" Xoria said, let's find a way upstai-" she halted abruptly and the others immediately whipped their heads around to follow her gaze.

The enormous white shark had returned. Standing on its back was the largest Sahagin they had ever seen, it was almost entirely blue with large frill-like fins around its head. The fins were trimmed with gold and it carried a large hammer in its hand that crackled with lightning. It was accompanied by a horde of other sahagin, all with red markings around their heads.

Teraptus was the first to act. "Saergera Lithliril Oscagne Wyvraenor!" Energy radiated from his hands in telescoping circles of purple energy towards the oncoming creatures. Almost all of them slowed down, their movement impaired as if the water they swam through suddenly became thicker. Only a few were unaffected, the Sahagin on the shark was vaulted forward by his momentum when the shark was slowed, and about 4 of the other sahagin were also unaffected. "Here!" Teraptus said, tossing Xoria the gauntlet.

Cyrus was already charging forward. He cut down two of the red-marked sahagin on his way to face down the leader. The leader swung at him with its hammer, but Cyrus caught the blow on his shield. As it struck his shield, however, there was a crackle of electricity, and Cyrus felt shocked through his shield and armor, his shield arm was tingling and almost numb.

Sav'ran, oblivious to his friend's plight, cut down the remaining sahagin that had been unaffected by Teraptus' spell, and moved on towards the larger group, being careful to avoid the shark which could probably have swallowed him whole.

Xoria donned the gauntlet, it looked much the same on her as it did on Teraptus. She aimed her gauntleted fist right at the shark and commanded, "Aegis!" The bolt of lightning that sprang forth hit the shark directly in the snout, the bolts that arced off of it nearly finished all of the remaining sahagin.

"Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Teraptus called, summoning many bolts of lighting from floor to ceiling, finishing off the shark and the remaining sahagin.

There was a clang as Cyrus' shield hit the floor. They all looked to him to see his left arm dangling limply at his side. The sahagin leader appeared to be largely unhurt. As Sav'ran tried to get there as fast as he could, the sahagin took another swing at Cyrus. Unable to block, the knight took the hit in his midsection. There was a great burst of electricity, and he was knocked backwards. Just then Sav'ran arrived and delivered a vicious two-handed slash at the sahagin's side. His blade struck home, but not nearly as critically as he would have liked, as the creature moved with amazing speed to roll with the blow.

The sahagin swung back, but Sav'ran dodged the swing.

Xoria decided against the gauntlet, she didn't want to hurt Cyrus and Sav, and she didn't know if the hammer made it immune to electricity or not. Instead, she focused on helping Sav'ran. "Protega Regulo Ordona Tarkana!" A shield of energy surrounded each of them, and not a second too soon for Sav'ran, who was unable to dodge the creature's next swing, only to find that the hammer bounced harmlessly off the shield that had formed around him.

Teraptus leveled the staff Bahamut had given him at the sahagin. "Infierna!" The dragon at the top of the staff glowed red, and then a column of steam and boiling hot water erupted under the sahagin, leaving its scales a lighter shade of blue. It turned towards Teraptus and immediately charged him, but as soon as it had its back to Sav'ran, his sword whipped out and severed the tendons on the back of its right leg. Limping, but heedless to the pain, it continued to advance on Teraptus.

Teraptus extended his hand. "Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" A blast of steam struck the sahagin square in the chest, but it continued advancing. It raised its hammer above its head, two-handed, and swung the hammer down towards Teraptus' head. Teraptus ducked instinctively, praying that Xoria's spell held for him as well. The hammer came down on nothing, however, as Xoria caught the shaft of the hammer on her own iron-shod staff, which snapped in two from the impact, but nonetheless drew the creature's attack aside. It reared the hammer back again, prepared to finish them both, when a large, broad blade emerged from its chest. It dropped the hammer behind it, craning its neck to see who had struck it down. Cyrus stood there, looking hale and hearty. The sahagin gurgled something and slid limply off the blade.

Cyrus smiled at Xoria. "Thanks again, Xoria"

She did not smile back, however, but looked at the two halves of the staff in her hands. "It belonged to my parents" she said simply. Then, in an uncharacteristic burst of uncontrolled anger, she grabbed the hammer from the floor and swung it downwards at the sahagin leader's head, which splattered like an egg.

"Feel better?" Teraptus asked, putting one hand on her shoulder.

"No," she responded, "what am I to do if I get cornered in combat?"

"Why not use that thing?" Sav'ran asked, pointing at the large warhammer in her hands.

She looked down, surprised. The hammer felt weightless in her hands, and yet, she felt its power. Surprised again when she noted the inscription on it was once again in her Temple's holy script. "Only one who is deemed worthy may take up Mjolnir," she read "and should it choose you, carry it forth in the name of Ysgard"

"Let me see that," Cyrus said, and she handed it to him. He immediately dropped it to the floor, unable to lift it at all.

Teraptus whistled. "Potent magic. Looks like it's chosen you, love."

Xoria turned to him, softness in her eyes. "Say that again," she said softly.

"What?"

"Love, just like that. Offhand like that. I like it."

He chuckled a bit, "Anything you want, love" and with that she rushed into his arms and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"Ummm…lovebirds? Can this wait?" Sav'ran asked.

The two mages parted, blushing slightly. Xoria picked up the hammer and they went in search of stairs up. They found a few more scattered sahagin with red markings, but made short work of these. The stairs up were in a room that looked like a throne room with a throne made of coral and pearls. There were still a few sahagin in the room, but it seemed that the leader they had slain earlier had been the king here. They continued upstairs.

* * *

The living quarters were either occupied or haunted, as they all thought they saw movement out of the corners of their eyes when they looked around, and heard ghostly whispers and giggles all around them. The rooms on this floor seemed to be, exactly as Dr. Unne had mentioned, living quarters for the keepers of the Water Shrine. While inspecting the second room, Cyrus was the first to make a motion to call for silence as he cocked his head to the side…listening.

"Do you hear that?" he asked quietly.

"Hear what?" Teraptus asked.

"I hear it now, too," Sav'ran said. "Sounds like someone singing."

They exited the room quietly and explored further down the hall. As they moved down the hall, the sounds got louder and they could all hear the definite, clear sound of a woman's voice. The son she sang was peaceful and calming, and at the same time, very saddening. They finally came to the source of the song, coming from one of the bedrooms. Without heed to any danger, they walked right into the room, entranced at this point by the song.

The source of the strange song was readily apparent. A humanoid female, with blue-green hair and very pretty, if somewhat angular feature. She was mostly nude, covered only by occasion by her long, swirling hair. Her lower torso, however, was that of a great fish with shimmering blue-green scales. The mermaid looked at them, but did not cease her beautiful song. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards in a slight smile as her wordless song continued. She swam up to them, inspecting them closely, keeping them captivated with her song, until returning to the far half of the room and letting her song end, the last note dying softly on her lips.

Feeling at last that they were free of her spell, the Light Warriors could still only stare in wonder at the beautiful creature before them. Fortunately for the awestruck heroes, she decided to speak first.

"That crystal that you wear around your neck…" she said, looking directly at Cyrus, "you must be the warriors of legend." A smile spread across her face. "You must be the answer to my prayers!"

"You know about the crystals?" Cyrus asked, feeling foolish as soon as he'd said it, knowing that much was obvious.

The mermaid's smile only got bigger. "Of course we do. Ever since the Shrine sank, we mermaids have struggled against the minions of the Water Fiend to save the light of the sea, but we have not been successful." Her smile faded somewhat.

"Wait a moment" Sav'ran interjected. "We? You mean there are more of you?"

The mermaid laughed, the sound like that of a tinkling bell. "Of course there are, silly. Although, we are not as many as we once were. The rest of my sisters are hiding from you right now. I will call them." She sang out once again in what seemed like a wordless, yet beautiful musical tune. This one was short lived, however, and by the time the last note had died, there were four other mermaids in the room, swimming around them, smiling and giggling, and paying extra attention to the three males in the party, to the slight annoyance of Xoria.

"You humans can breathe here?" one of the mermaids said, amazed.

"Yes," Cyrus answered, "a fairy from Gaia gave us Oxyale."

"Oooh," the mermaid said, seemingly impressed. "Not many fairies left."

"Aren't you related to fairies?" Teraptus said, "A scholar on land said mermaids were fairy-kin"

One of the mermaids nodded. "True fairies sometimes call us 'half-breeds'", she made a face. "But my mother was a mermaid just like me"

"What about males?" Sav'ran asked, not even trying to hide his lingering gaze on the mermaids' ample assets.

The mermaids giggled. "We can use human males for that" one answered, her eyes half-lidded suggestively.

Cyrus laughed nervously and backed up a step. "Ummm…I'm taken, ladies, sorry"

The mermaid who had spoken shook her head, "No time for that anyway. The Water Fiend must be destroyed. If the light of the sea is not returned, we mermaids will turn into bubbles."

"That's horrible!" Xoria said.

"One of our sisters left long ago. The fish say she hasn't returned, perhaps she grew legs and left the sea. I just wish I knew what happened to her, if she's okay."

"Mera?" Sav'ran said, suddenly putting clues together.

"Yes!" the mermaid said excitedly.

Sav smiled. "She lives in the town not far from here, Onlak. She loves having legs, and loves to dance. She's doing well, and she told us that we might find friends here in the Water Shrine"

One of the other mermaids nodded. "We will help you in any way we can, Light Warriors. Our help is limited, though, we're using all of our power to keep the Fiend's minions out of this level of the Shrine. We had all but given up hope until you arrived."

"What can you tell us about the Water Fiend?" Cyrus asked, suddenly all business.

The mermaids likewise become somber. "The Kraken is a dangerous Beast of Chaos, cunning and cruel. This is the topmost level of the Shrine. Kraken, the Water Fiend, dwells at the depths. It has laired itself deep in the Shrine, guarding it always. When it appeared 400 years ago, sealed in its orb, we mermaids didn't know what to make of it. 200 years ago, it awakened, bursting from the orb and killing several of our number who were tending the Shrine."

"You tended the Water Shrine when it was active?" Teraptus asked.

The mermaid nodded. "Yes, for in those days, the lower levels were all underwater. Kraken immediately set about pulling the entire temple under the waves, blinding most of us with ink in the water. We tried to save as many of the priests as we could, but ended up trapped in the living quarters up here. We could not escort them to the safety of land, and instead used magic to create air bubbles for them. In the end, they died when their supplies ran out, but a few of our younger ones, like Mera, were born from unions that occurred when the priests were under our protection. Since then our numbers have slowly dwindled, either from attacks from the Fiend's minions, or because their power waned to the extent that the corruption of the crystal turned them into bubbles."

"We can reach the Fiend's lair from here?" Xoria asked.

"Yes, we can lead you there, but you must make the journey on your own."

"Anything else you can tell us?" Teraptus asked. "such as any weaknesses the Fiend might have? Or any information about how it fights?"

The mermaids nodded in unison. "Despite himself being an aquatic creature, The Kraken has been known to employ lightning magic, creating powerful underwater storms."

"His tentacles grab foes and crush them to death. Beware, warriors, for he is a huge beast, and dangerous to engage in close quarters."

"Take this," one of them said, coming towards Cyrus with a ribbon in hand."

"A ribbon?"

She smiled. "It's magic will protect you from harm. It will keep your body pure and clean from poison, disease and certain kinds of harmful magic." She tied the ribbon around Cryus' neck and fastened it securely.

"Be careful Warriors. All our hope lies with you."

* * *

The trek downward was thereafter uneventful. After following the mermaids' directions, they found the entrance to the Shrine, a dark sense of foreboding came from the darkened doorway. The water here seemed colder.

Xoria stopped them all to place her protective spell on them. "Nulreigh Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" and they all briefly glowed with a yellow nimbus.

When they entered to room, it seemed to share many physical characteristics with the other Shrines. Or at least, it once did. The altar at the back with the large, darkened crystal was still intact, but all of the flooring between the entrance and the altar had been destroyed, leaving the room larger and deeper. The light from Xoria's spell illuminated only so far, and seemed to reflect vaguely off something deep below in the darkness.

Suddenly, the spot where the light reflected changed. An enormous red eye with a, hourglass-shaped pupil now gazed balefully back at them. Motion was now apparent all around the eye, as tentacles that had been dangerously close to them slithered back towards the bottom and the kraken began to move.

Xoria whispered something, casting quietly, and the light above her head rose to the top of the room and suddenly became brighter, illuminating the room. They almost wished it hadn't. The Kraken was an enormous squid, with tentacles thrashing slowly through the water in front of him. Both of his bulbous red eyes were now visible, as well as the lamprey-like mouth at the center of his body, filled with rows upon rows of terrible teeth.

A terrible sound came from the beast, it sounded almost like laughter, but somehow frightening. "Ah, welcome Light Warriors, to my den." It's voice was deep, and filled with menace, yet somehow…polite.

"You have defeated two Fiends to get here, yes? You humans amaze me. Who would have thought any land creature could make it this far? I suppose you think that you'll be restoring the power of Water today, hmm?"

Cyrus pointed his sword at the beast. "You don't belong in this world, monster! We will cleanse this holy Shrine of your foul taint and send you to join your allies of Earth and Fire!"

The monster chuckled again, but it was a sound devoid of humor. "You think I will be defeated so easily? You know nothing of the true purpose of the Shrines! You know nothing of the power of Chaos! I'm afraid it is time to teach you your place. I, Kraken, The Water Fiend, shall instruct you!" With that, the Kraken's tentacles, which had been unfolding as it spoke, lashed forward.

The Light Warriors were not unprepared, however. Cyrus swung his sword swiftly, opening a deep gouge in the tentacle that came for him.

Teraptus was likewise ready, having watched the tentacles as they unfurled. The one racing towards him never made it closer than 10 feet, as with a gesture of his staff and a powerful command, "Infierna!" he scalded several feet of the tip of the tentacle.

Xoria waited until it got close enough to her to try and grab her, swinging her new hammer down with both hands. The electrical crackle was visible all the way down the length of the tentacle to the kraken's body, and the extremity went slightly limp in the water.

Sav'ran was nowhere in sight, having faded into the background while the lights were still dim.

Cyrus quickly jumped over to Xoria and sliced off 3 feet of the limp tentacle near her. The Kraken bellowed in rage, and 2 more tentacles came towards him.

"Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" Teraptus' spell took hold on Cyrus immediately and he had no problem knocking one tentacle away with his shield and delivering another deep cut to the other.

Sav'ran made his presence known then, as he launched himself from a wall close to the kraken and plunged his blade directly into the center of one of the beast's horrible red eyes. The cavern shook with its roar, and even Sav'ran was not quick enough to escape 2 tentacles grabbing him and slamming him against a wall. As they tried to squeeze and constrict, however, the nimble rogue slipped out and slashed the offending members several times before kraken could pull them out of reach.

"Sav had the right idea," Cyrus said, we need to direct our attacks at its body.

Xoria and Teraptus nodded.

"Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Teraptus held his hands cupped together, directing the full force of his spell at the monstrosity of the deep. The bolts struck true, and lightning arced even between the tentacles. Four of them now launched at the mage before he could muster another defense.

But his defense lied not only within him alone. Xoria placed herself between the monster and her lover and held forth the gauntlet. "Aegis!" she commanded, and bolts of lightning burst from her outstretched hand and slammed into the oncoming limbs. The tentacles scattered in all directions, and the lightning continued until it hit the Fiend directly in its hideous core.

Cyrus had used him time and hastened speed wisely, and now dove toward the monster, delivering a powerful downward thrust at the beast's head. It roared and shook, throwing Cyrus off. He still held onto his blade, however, which ripped an even greater hole in the Kraken's flesh as it tore free. It leaned back, revealing the horrible gullet, and spewed forth a blast of ink, turning the entire cavern to darkness.

Cyrus felt the ribbon around his neck grow comfortably warm. He could see! The blinding effect of the ink did not affect him. Further, the ink had dispersed quickly, and the water was once again clear. He quickly slashed at the tentacles flailing towards him, but his light disorientation meant that he took a couple of heavy blows. Some of his companions were not so lucky. Sav'ran cried out as the kraken once again grabbed him with 2 tentacles, and began raining blows upon him with others. Xoria still seemed to be able to see and was holding a tentacle at bay with her hammer to keep it away from Teraptus.

Cyrus came to Sav'ran's aid, completely severing one of the tentacles that held him. Feeling his captor's grip loosen, Sav'ran slipped out and swam blindly until he found a wall, immediately fading from sight.

The beast roared in rage and anguish and brought all its tentacles close to it. Some of them began to glow blue. "Insolent wretches! Your bodies will rot forever in the lightless depths of the Abyss!" and Kraken unleashed his rage.

It felt as if they had suddenly got hit by a storm. There was a sudden, powerful current that swept them all to one wall of the room, lightning blasted at them, coursing over them, making their hair stand on end. But Xoria's foresight paid off, and though painful, the lightning was not lethal nor debilitating.

"Pencha Unyaia Rectif Esuna!" Xoria's healing spell caused Teraptus to stop clutching his eyes and blink, his vision returning.

"I'm getting a little sick of this monster" he said, anger in his eyes. "Cover me, it's time to end this."

He let go of his staff, which floated near him in the water. He brought his hands together and started casting.

"Bochoskatas…" Lightning began arcing all over his body, most of it focused between his hands.

"Othrasantos…" His eyes were now blazing orbs of white-hot fury, and small bolt of lightning arced between his teeth as he spoke.

"Legatoreysin…" Kraken, realizing its peril started swingin tentacles at him, Cyrus and Xoria intervened with shield, sword and hammer. Teraptus remained untouched.

"Turelahanya!" Cyrus and Xoria threw themselves aside as Teraptus finished his spell. Bolts of lightning blasted from the ceiling to the floor, caging the Kraken in. A single incredibly wide blast came down in the center, directly dead-center on the Kraken's body. Around it danced many more lightning bolts, striking the beast with over a dozen blasts of lightning. The lightning did not simply come and go, but lasted several seconds, electrocuting the huge leviathan.

When the lightning storm was over, Teraptus snatched his staff form where it floated. The Kraken was twitching, its body partially cooked alive, its flesh white and pink in places. Almost none of the Kraken's original blue-black flesh was visible.

Cyrus was wasting no time, already swimming towards it, shield discarded, sword in both hands. The Kraken saw him, but seemed unable to move in time, as he planted his feet on the thing's monstrous head and plunged his sword into its remaining eye. It's scream was ear-splitting. He raised his blade and thrust again. The beast roared with each strike as he plunged his blade again and again into its eye socket. With the final thrust, Xoria and Teraptus could actually see the tip of the blade extending through the monster's open gullet. It's final scream died off into a gurgling sigh.

Cyrus swam away from it as the Kraken's body expanded, then contracted, and expanded again, blue cracks of light showing through it as if it were a fractured ceramic piece. The Kraken exploded and the whole temple shook.

Having felt the force of the blast, Sav'ran came out of hiding. Xoria came to him and healed his blindness. As they approached the altar, the mermaids came swimming into the room.

"You did it! The Fiend's minions are fleeing the temple as we speak! Thank you so much!"

The mermaids swam up and kissed Cyrus on the cheeks and forehead. Sav'ran, too. Xoria protectively held Teraptus in a tight hug, and the mermaids took the hint.

Cyrus slid his crystal pendant under the altar. Just like before, the pendant rose up until it touched the large crystal floating over the altar, which began shining a brilliant blue and rose up slightly, rotating slowly. Cyrus' pendant was returned to him, and he could feel the power that connected his crystal to the Shrine.

"Farewell Light Warriors" the mermaids said. "Give Mera our love and tell her we wish her well in her new life."

Sav'ran nodded and turned back to Cyrus.

"Wait," Xoria said. "do you mermaids know anything about the Air Shrine?"

One of the mermaids paused. "The Shrines used to be able to communicate, as they're all linked to the health of the world. In ages past, in the continent to the east, I saw an image of someone entering the Tower. There was this beautiful bell sound that accompanied the entrance. I know the tower is somehow connected to the Air Shrine, but that's all I can remember."

"Thank you very much" Xoria said, and turned to face Cyrus.

Cyrus saw that everyone was ready. He activated the crystal.

There was a flash of light.


	6. Chapter 6

Xoria was crying. The walls had been shaking, there was smoke, somewhere, and her parents were not here. She huddled under the covers of her bed, trying to hide from the monsters, from the fear. She heard footsteps enter her room, but she could not stop crying. The blanket was pulled from over her head. She looked up to see an older woman in a white robe, a priestess of the order.

"Xoria, Thank Ysgard! We must get you to safety with the other children!"

"Mommy?"

"Your mommy isn't here right now, Xoria, but she wants you to come with me to be safe. Let's go" And the priestess picked up the young child and carried her to the safety of the lower levels.

That was the last she remembered of the last day she had ever seen her parents alive. She and the other children had been frightened and had been sent to the shelter of the lower levels. Like many of the children, she cried until she was exhausted and she fell asleep. When she awoke, the danger had passed, but with it, so had many of the priests and priestesses of the temple's order. Both her parents were among the fallen. It brought her no comfort that they had fought valiantly with spell and stave against the fearsome dragon; Xoria simply wanted her mommy and daddy back. Xion was a man she had known all of her young life. The closest friend of both her father and her mother, it was he who took her in. He was a powerful and talented White wizard, and an expert linguist. The holy tongue of the order of Ysgard came easy to him. On top of all that, he had not only battled fiercely against the dragon, but had survived the creature's onslaught, being instrumental in driving it away, though this he always modestly declined, claiming only that he was but one small part of a larger effort of those on the field that day.

Xoria was an inquisitive child, and Xion an able teacher. Even at a young age, she showed a remarkable talent for the holy language, as well as fiery vibrancy and enjoyment of life that Xion always told her reminded him of her mother. And, when she came of age, she chose to honor her parents and entered the priesthood of Ysgard as a full-fledged acolyte of the order. Having grown up with first two priests and then the tutelage of Xion, it came as little surprise to her instructors that she was a quick study. Having been blessed with a wizard mark like her father and Xion, she also attended classes to educate her on the uses of magic, of which she was also a quick study. When she was twelve, Xion was appointed head of the order, and although his duties meant he had less personal time to spend with Xoria, he did not neglect his duties to educate her. The combination of education with Xion and her natural talents made her quickly ascend and be clearly the most gifted acolyte that the temple had seen in many years.

The crystal was a keepsake that was always kept with the master of the order. The previous master of the order, Xiophet, had suffered grievous wounds during the battle with the dragon, and although great healing magicks had healed most of them, he had always had a racking cough that plagued him for the last decade of his life. He understood full well the importance of the crystal, and when Lukhin made his prophecy, he knew he would not be alive to see it fulfilled. He passed on all his knowledge of the crystal to his successor, Xion, and Xion knew, even then, that it would be Xoria who would wear it in fulfillment of the prophecy.

And then the day came, when a young man came from dwarven lands, dressed in long blue robes, and wearing a wide brimmed hat that obscured his face, but not from the keen eyes of the Master of the Temple of Ysgard, who knew a wizard mark when he saw one. And the next day, like fate, a Pravocian merchant vessel arrived with another young man, whose ancestry was, Xion quickly surmised, not entirely human, and within minutes of this discovery, one of the king's own guards entered the throne room, with the fourth and final crystal around his neck. The pieces were all falling into place, and if there had ever been any doubt in Xion's mind that Xoria was the Chosen Light Warrior, then the ages of all those who had been chosen by the other crystals, so close to Xoria's own age, was confirmation enough. He cast his recall spell and returned to the temple to prepare young Xoria for the long and arduous journey she was about to undertake.

He found her in one of her favorite places of contemplation, the Basilica of the Five. Long ago, it was said, five celestial warriors came to this land. They spoke a strange tongue which none understood. But these warriors wielded mighty weapons and strange magicks. In time, they came to teach a few people their strange language, and their purpose in this land. They had been sent by Ysgard to seek out and destroy a great evil and bring the people of Ysgard back to paradise. In time, the Five left, believing that they had found this evil and were never heard from again. The faith in Ysgard lived on in those whose lives they had touched, however, as did their beautiful, strange language, and the writings they had left behind. The keepers of the order of Ysgard, praised Ysgard for his greatness, and held onto hope that the great evil was defeated, that they, too would be counted among the faithful of Ysgard, and be taken up into paradise, to be one with Ysgard.

Xoria liked it there because of the majestic statues of the Five, and the beautiful stained glass windows which told the tale of the long journey of the Five, and also the Five in battle with a great darkness, and the victory and final reward, in the kingdom of Ysgard. She knelt now, in one of the pews, her head resting on her hands, eyes closed, deep in meditation. Her mind must be completely at ease, Xion thought as he looked down at her completely calm face. Then he noticed a slight sound coming from Xoria, he leaned in closely, and realized she was snoring! Sleeping, here, in the Basilica!

"Xoria! Wake up!" Xion said sharply.

Xoria awoke with a start and fell out of her pew. Xion shook his head in amazement and disappointment. In this woman's hands, was one fourth of the fate of the world. "I'm…I'm sorry Xion, you startled me. I…I was in such a deep trance, that I-"

"You were snoring, Xoria"

"Oopsie"

Xion looked at her gravely. "Gather your belongings, Xoria, you're leaving"

Xoria was floored. "What? You're…you're exiling me? For falling asleep in the Basilica? Are you mad? This isn't the first time that I, or anyone else has fallen asleep here. And even for a repeat offense, exile is FAR too extreme to-"

Xion cut her off again with a finger to her lips. "Hush child, you are too loud"

"Too loud? What? Afraid I'm going to wake up SOMEONE ELSE? Someone else who's ALLOWED to sleep in here whilst I get exiled for it?" Her voice was getting high and tight now.

Xion shook his head, "No, child. And you are not being exiled. Come with me to your room while you pack your things and I will explain."

Xoria held the crystal in her hands as Xion explained the situation to her. She had heard of Lukhin before, almost nobody hadn't. She knew of his prophecy, but never dreamed that it would be she whom it referred to. The crystal glowed briefly when she had first taken it, further proof, Xion assured her, that it was meant for her, for it had never done that ever, in the entire history of its tenure at the Temple. Xion explained its history to her as well; the secret history of the Five, for it had been given to the new followers of Ysgard by one of the Five. One, who, he secretly confided, did not believe that they alone could defeat the great evil. He had left the crystal with the wife he had taken among the followers. All of the Five had taken wives, and all the wives had bourn children, and the detailed records of the temple always kept close records of all the descendants of the Five, even those who left the Temple, or even left Cornelia. The greatest secret of this, Xion confided, was that the many, many descendants of those five had occasionally interbred among their bloodlines, creating some families that carried the bloodline of more than one of the Five. Both of Xoria's parents came from such families. Xion himself was one of the descendants of the original bearer of the crystal. But Xoria was unique. Because the three bloodlines to which her mother belonged and the two to which her father belonged created a union that for the first time in the history of the temple, united all five bloodlines in one being. The elders of the temple had foreseen at her birth that Xoria would be destined for greatness.

All of this was a lot for Xoria to absorb all at once. Her…her parents…The Five…this crystal…the prophecy…and again, her. She believed him, of course. Xion had never lied to her, had never misled her, and never punished her beyond what she deserved, so she knew this wasn't some elaborate trick on her for falling asleep. She was by no means a perfect child, and had always had an adventuresome streak in her. This promised to be above and beyond anything she had ever dreamed of.

"Xoria?" Xion said softly. "Xoria, though I believe quite adamantly that you are the Light Warrior, and have shared with you my reasons for believing so, I cannot force this burden upon you, and it IS a burden. You must take this of your own will, and if you do not…I will find another."

"Well, in that case, okay, go get someone else, I'm out"

Xion's face dropped in shock and amazement, his eyes wide and his mouth slack. He began stammering to find the words he wanted when Xoria began bursting out laughing.

"That, Uncle, is for making me think I was going to be exiled earlier. Oh, heavens, you should have seen your face!" Xoria continued to laugh even harder.

Xion couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad to see you are feeling quite yourself. I hope you are as amused in the morning. We're going to the palace, and I'd rather like to be there by dawn."

Xoria stopped laughing. "Couldn't you…?" she made a vague gesture with her hand.

"No, my dear, I'm afraid that's out of the question, we shall simply have to walk there."

"But…the palace is more than 3 miles away! Can't we take horses?"

"No, no horses. And it's actually just a little LESS than four miles, but still a good few hours walk, we shall have to rise early. Sleep well, Xoria." He left her to herself and the task of preparing.

Xoria, for her part, knew that Xion had just gotten her good. "Hmmm…and here I thought he didn't HAVE a sense of humor."

* * *

The Water Shrine's power returned them to the docks on Onlak. Oddly enough, their clothes and equipment was dry. No doubt due to the power of the fairy's magic. The townsfolk were already gathered about the pier. There was a lot of excited chatter going on and when the Light Warriors appeared in a sudden flash of light, everyone gawked at them for a moment.

"The storm disappeared! The waters are calm! They must have restored the Shrine!" someone shouted. A great cheer went up from the townsfolk who rushed up to the Light Warriors, assailing them with questions.

They answered as best they could. Yes, the Water Shrine was restored. Yes, the seas are safe again. No, we didn't bring the underwater boat back with us. And yes, there really was a giant monster with tentacles that pulled the Shrine below the waves 200 years ago.

The townsfolk offered another celebration for the heroes, but they respectfully declined, knowing the town still did not have a lot of surplus. As it was late in the day, they were tired and decided to return to their rooms in the inn a little early and rest.

* * *

The next morning, Xoria insisted they return to the home of Dr. Unne. Not only had they promised to give him a run-down of everything they had seen in the Water Shrine, but she had some unanswered questions about the Lufenians.

This time they knocked once and admitted themselves into the house. Dr. Unne was just exiting the kitchen, still in his dressing robe and holding a steaming mug of tea.

"Good Morning, Light Warriors," he said, seemingly not at all perturbed that they had just walked into his house so early in the morning. "You're once again the talk of the town; from all accounts it seems you were successful."

"Yes, we were," Cyrus answered and held up his crystal pendant, now shining a bright blue.

"Excellent, excellent," he replied. "Only one more to go, now…"

"Dr. Unne," Xoria began, "do you know anything at all about the Air Shrine? The sages at Crescent Lake said that all knowledge of it had been lost to time, but due to our own observations about the Shrines so far, it would almost have to be high in the sky, but where or how is beyond us."

"I must say that I do not know for certain where the Air Shrine is, but based on the locations of the other three Shrines, it does seem logical to assume that the Air Shrine would be high in the sky. But you, of course, have a Lufenian Airship. You should be able to reach any such location."

"These Lufenians…" Xoria started. "What do you know about them?"

"Not much I must admit. There are a handful of traces of Lufenian culture all over the world. From the Temple of Ysgard outside Cornelia, to ruins south of Crescent Lake, even a cave just west of here, behind a waterfall. All of these places have Lufenian glyphs that show signs that Lufenian people were once there, but the only intact Lufenian settlement is south of Gaia, what the inhabitants refer to as 'Hawkwing'".

"The Ice Cave, too," Sav'ran chimed in.

"Ice cave?" Dr. Unne asked, looking puzzled.

"We found a cave when we got lost looking for the Fire Shrine," Cyrus explained. "The whole place was frozen over and full of strange creatures and dark elves, but inside we found a door with runes all over it that Xoria recognized as the holy language of Ysgard."

"Hold on Cyrus," Xoria interjected. "I want to know the connection between Ysgard and these Lufenians. You said there were Lufenian glyphs in our temple?"

"Yes," Dr. Unne said. "Of course I was not permitted to read many of your holy texts, but there were some glyphs on the some of the stained glass windows that were definitely Lufenian. And when I interviewed the head of your order, there was a tome in his quarters that had writing on it that matched other examples of Lufenian culture I have seen elsewhere in the world. But I wish to hear more about this Ice cave and the runes you found?"

Sav'ran nodded. "Inside the room we found a deceased guardian guarding the Levistone. The sages at Crescent Lake identified it as Lufenian, that was the first time we heard that word."

"…And the ruins south of Crescent Lake!" Teraptus interjected, as if he'd just put things together. "Dr. Unne mentioned some ruins there that were Lufenian. That's where we found the airship! And if the Airship is Lufenian as well, and the writing on the Levistone and the door were also the holy language of Ysgard…"

"…Then the language you call the Holy Language of Ysgard may be the strange language of the Lufenian people!" Dr. Unne exclaimed, suddenly very excited.

Xoria scoffed. "I don't think so. This language was taught to my ancestors, the founders of the temple, five great warriors who came from a distant land, far away…" she trailed off, deep in thought.

"They may have been sent from the Lufenian homeland!" Dr. Unne said, very excited. "Please, My Lady, if you could speak a few words of your holy language here, for me. I would recognize the Lufenian tongue if I heard it again."

"Doctor, that language was taught to us by the five celestial warriors. We ourselves only use it during rituals and in writing to record important events. It is not some parlor trick to be repeated for amusement."

"I am sorry, My Lady, I did not mean to offend. I meant only to learn more, and to help you all on your quest. Now, you say this language came from celestial warriors? Can you explain more thoroughly? I hope I'm not asking you to violate your code. I know that no one back at your Temple would tell me, being an outsider."

"I'm not supposed to…" Xoria said, looking very uncertain.

"It could be important to our quest, Xoria" Cyrus said. "Besides, I'm from Cornelia, and I've never heard it before. You could just instruct me, and conveniently forget that the others are standing right here."

Teraptus chuckled. "You've been spending too much time with Sav'ran." Sav'ran gave an indignant snort, but said nothing.

Xoria smiled. "I supposed that will suffice" With that she explained the story of the five warriors who had come, they said, from the sky, and spoke a language that no one understood. They had traveled long and far, and were weary from their journey. They spent many years with the settlement of people, the people to whom they taught their language and bore their children. She told of them leaving and heading north to fight the great evil of which they had spoken.

When she finished, Teraptus was the first to speak. "Lukhin spoke of the Lufenians as the 'Sky People'. Also, they seemed to have mastered magicks that relate to air, such as our airship. It does stand to reason that there is a connection. The mermaids also mentioned that the Mirage Tower is connected to the Air Shrine, but from what they said and what we've inferred, I do not think the Shrine itself is in the tower. This village, Hawkwing seems to be east-southeast of the tower, judging from Dr. Unne's map here. The people of Gaia could not enter it. Perhaps the people of Hawkwing can."

"Mermaids?" Dr. Unne said. "You spoke with mermaids in the Shrine? I would still love to hear about what you discovered down there, and your other adventures as well."

"Short attention span you've got there Doctor," Sav'ran said with a grin.

"By no means, I wish to help you discover the answer to this mystery as well, but if you recall, the price for my help with the Water Shrine was a full account of it all. What do you say?"

* * *

They recounted all their adventures to Dr. Unne, which, with the level of detail that he demanded, took up the entire day. By the time he was satisfied that they had told him everything, the sun was beginning to set.

"Excellent, excellent" Dr. Unne said. "You've certainly gotten around quite a bit in a short period of time. From what you've told me, I think your hunch is probably correct, and the Air Shrine is somehow flying in the air somewhere. If the Mirage Tower is the key, I don't know what to tell you the next step is. But I think Master Teraptus here has a sharp mind and he may be on the right track. If I were a Light Warrior, I'd be checking out any other signs of Lufenian culture. There's a mountain lake to the northwest, the lake is fed by an immense waterfall from the north side. Behind that waterfall is a cave that extends deep into the mountain. One of the caverns within had some Lufenian glyphs on the walls, I'm sure of it. The only other place besides that would be the Lufenian village, 'Hawkwing'".

"How do you suggest we get to this waterfall?" Cyrus asked.

"Well the mountains are very nearly un-crossable, and there's no expanse of land wide enough to land that airship of yours. My suggestion would be to buy yourselves a canoe, and row upriver from the mouth of the river to the south and row up to the lake. Near the waterfall, there's a beach, of sorts. You can safely land your canoe there and walk inside. That's how I managed."

"You think we could get a canoe here in town?" Sav'ran asked.

Dr. Unne frowned. "I don't know if you could find a big enough one."

"We got it covered, Doc, thanks" Teraptus said. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for a hot meal and a warm bed, we'll head out in the morning."

* * *

By midmorning the next day, the airship was swiftly making its way through the skies over the Cardian Sea, and then over Cornelia. Teraptus was on the top deck for the very first time, although he was gripping a railing tightly and his face seemed pale. As soon as Xoria saw the crescent-shaped lake, she began to slow until they came to a stop and landed not far from the entrance to the town of Crescent Lake.

It didn't come as much of a shock that people were staring at them and whispering amongst themselves. Cyrus began to chuckle.

"First we show up riding a pair of dragons, and then we land that thing outside their gates. I don't know if these people can handle any more visits from us." Everyone else smiled.

They headed straight for the circle of sages. All eyes were on them and the sages were silent as they entered the clearing.

Lukhin stood up and gestured for the other sages to follow suit. "Behold! The Warriors of Prophecy! Chosen by Fate, Honored by mortals, Blessed by the Dragon Lord, and Bound together by Love, these four have proven themselves, time and again, to be true heroes. Hail heroes!" And Lukhin bowed before them. As if on cue, all of the other sages bowed as well.

"Lukhin, we haven't come to be honored. Actually, we came back here for our 4 man canoe, but we were hoping that you'd be able to fill in some of the gaps in our own understanding."

Lukhin looked up sadly. "I'm sorry Light Warriors, but this circle of sages has nothing more to offer you. The Air Shrine was the first to be corrupted, and 400 years of isolation and the influence of evil have wiped all knowledge of it from the memories of Men."

"Xoria," Teraptus whispered. "How long ago did those celestial warriors first come to your people?"

Xoria sighed, not liking the coincidence. "About 400 years".

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the Shrines or our quest at all?" Cyrus asked. "Please, any knowledge that we may have overlooked that may be important. Does anyone know where the Fiends come from? Of why they're corrupting the Shrines?"

The sages returned to their seats. One of the sages to their right spoke up. "The four Fiends of Chaos, hurtled through time, seek to corrupt and destroy the world."

"Hurtled through time?" Sav'ran asked.

Lukhin nodded. "Yes Light Warriors. They are ancient evils, from a time of primordial darkness, before life flourished on this world. They were sent here by Chaos, for what purpose, we do not know. It seems their goal is to destroy this world, or return it to its former state."

"Sent by Chaos…" Xoria seemed puzzled.

"How can an ethical outlook send anyone anywhere?" Teraptus was likewise confused.

"I think the answer does lie within the teachings of my Temple," Xoria said. "The Great Evil that the Five were attempting to destroy… Well… It's difficult to explain because there are basically 2 evils mentioned in the legend. There was the great Beast that drove the people of Ysgard from paradise, and then there was the Great Evil that the Five went to destroy, the Evil at the heart of it all."

"Did this evil have a name?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria looked somewhat shaken. "Yes, it had a name. We were never to speak it, and its name is no longer taught to members of our order. But I researched it myself in the archives."

"What was it Xoria?" Sav'ran asked.

"Xion told me that the prohibition on speaking its name aloud should be dropped. 'Fear of the name of a Thing' he said, 'only increases the fear of the Thing itself.' And he said that if we feared this Evil, that it had power over us."

Teraptus put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them gently. "Tell us, Xoria. We will not fear this thing, but face it."

Her voice sounded dry and hollow, even to herself.

"Khayoss"

* * *

"There's too many similarities" Sav'ran was saying as he rowed.

"I don't know Sav," Xoria was saying. "I just don't like the idea of these Lufenians being connected with the worship of Ysgard."

"Does this have something to do with the inscription on the Levistone?" Teraptus asked. "How you said it made Ysgard sound like a place?"

She nodded. "I don't like it. It makes so much sense though, everything that Dr. Unne said, that Xion said, even what Bahamut told me. It all makes too much sense, but I don't _want_ to believe it."

"Why not?" Cyrus asked, looking puzzled.

Xoria shook her head, slightly frustrated with the young man for a moment. "Cyrus, your spirituality may take a lower priority in your life, but I am a _priestess_. I've devoted my life to worship and devotion. I don't care for the idea that my entire religion is based off a mistranslation of an ancient dialect, and the god I've been praying to and revering is actually some kind of flying city instead."

"Maybe it's not too much of a stretch" Teraptus mused.

Xoria's mouth tightened. "What?"

"Well, what I'm saying is… These 'Celestial Warriors' had some great reverence for this place from which they came, right?"

"Well, yes, it was paradise."

"Well, if this place was the location of the Air Shrine, then it was the focus of reverence and worship. Like the others, the people who were the keepers of this Shrine would have viewed the Shrine itself as sacred and holy. Remember, I, too, was being trained as a priest by the descendant of the keepers of the Earth Shrine. When they were forced to leave this place by the Fiend, they lost more than just their home. They were now disconnected from the focus of their spirituality. Is it so hard to believe that this 'Ysgard' is both a city _and_ a source of veneration?"

Xoria smiled at him. "You may be right. But we won't know for sure until we can get to that village and talk to the people there. Why _are_ we going to this cave first, anyway?"

Cyrus grunted as he pulled on the oar. "Because it's the last location of Lufenian ruins that Dr. Unne mentioned. We've visited all the others before going to the village, maybe there's something in here that will prepare us for what to expect from the Lufenians. Or something that we can return to their existing civilization, perhaps in return for help."

Sav'ran chuckled. "We're planning to bribe people we haven't even met yet?"

Xoria cast a dark glance at him. "It's not a bribe, it's a gift. We'll give anything we find to them whether they help us or not. If it's theirs we'll...Look Out!"

Sav'ran stopped. "Huh?" Then a thick, ropey vine struck him from behind.

Teraptus looked into the water. "There's two of them! We need to get to shore so we can fight!"

Sav'ran and Cyrus began to row as fast as they could. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" Teraptus cast the spell on Cyrus first, and the young knight had to slow down, lest he send them into a spin. When Teraptus repeated the spell on Sav'ran, the two of them began to row again. While everything else seemed slow to them, to Xoria and Teraptus, they were moving at amazing speed.

They beached the canoe, as one of the giant, plant-like monsters showed itself. It lashed its tentacles around Xoria while she was still calf-deep in the water and it pulled her in, opening a huge gaping maw. The other one popped up right next to its companion and opened its maw as well, a cloud of blue-green gas issued swiftly from it. Cyrus, Sav'ran and Teraptus covered their mouths and avoided the worst of it, but Xoria was not so lucky, she went limp in the creatures grasp.

Sav'ran had not wasted any time. He ran from the shore and leaped onto the creature, balancing on the uneven slope of its bulb-like body, and quickly slashed out to sever the vine holding Xoria. She fell, and he caught her in mid-air as he jumped back over to dry land.

Cyrus was already there at the edge of the water, sword in hand, shield out, to cover Sav'ran as soon as he landed. With shield and blade he deflected the few vines that had chased after the green-clad young man.

Teraptus, for his part, had already planted his staff into the soft earth. He held his hands on either side of the dragon statuette and chanted, "Fithostratus Ignusioustan Rajakanulka Eklusulshi!" The statue glowed red briefly, and the dragon opened its mouth to release a small bead of fire that quickly sped towards the two plant monsters. A great ball of flame erupted, with both monsters inside, but when it subsided, they were blackened, but did not appear critically damaged. Both shambled forward and struck, each with many vines, Cyrus.

Cyrus was an adept warrior and well armored, but there were seven vines, the end of each ending in a wide, leaf-like appendage which seemed covered in teeth. His face bloody, his left arm feeling weak and a major wound in his right leg, he still found the strength to riposte. He savagely hacked at the monsters, slicing through vines and delivering heavy-handed blows to one of the creatures' center, and with each swing he felt dizzy, weak, and after his fifth swing, he fell off-balance and collapsed.

Sav'ran had just gotten Xoria's eyes to open, and saw Cyrus go down. "He must be poisoned!" he said as he leaped, once again, to the rescue. He dodged the incoming vines until he reached his friend's still form. Drawing his blade, he began to pull Cyrus back, ignoring the blows that now began to rain on him, less mobile as he was.

"Sav!" Teraptus yelled, at a loss for what to do when fire did not work against a plant. Then an idea struck him. They were aquatic plants. He decided to end this as quickly as possible. "Bochoskatas Othrasantos Legatoreysin Turelahanya!" Many bolts of lightning appeared out of a cloudless sky to from a dancing cage around and on top of, the creatures, which made strange sounds, almost like screams. Then, a great, wide bolt came down between the two, but wide enough to touch them both. All the bolts danced around and through the two monsters, who writhed and screamed. When the spell subsided, both creatures had ceased to move entirely.

Sav'ran was panting, and although there was blood beneath his clothes, they did not appear torn. Xoria approached Cyrus, worry in her eyes.

"I gave him one of the antivenin potions we purchased in Gaia," Sav'ran told her, "but he's still hurt pretty bad."

Xoria nodded. She knelt beside Cyrus and took a deep breath. Then she summoned up all of her might and focused her power and a new spell she had learned. "Cantosiolate Ulinovskatat Reythatornia Extatiumtentia!" The light that flowed from her hands completely obscured Cyrus. When it subsided, he was laying there, awake, and looking great.

Xoria sat back, relieved. Then she motioned for Sav'ran to come to her. "Cantosiol Ulinovska Reythator Extatium!" He, too, looked better after Xoria had healed him.

Cyrus was still inspecting himself. "Not bad," he said, "I feel great. Was that all you, Ter?" he asked, pointing to the two charred monsters.

Teraptus smiled and nodded. "Figured if fire didn't bother them, maybe they'd react to lightning like any other aquatic creature."

"Speaking of reactions," Xoria said, "I thought the charm the mermaids gave you should have protected you from being poisoned."

"Ah, I can answer that," Sav'ran said, pulling down the neck of his bodysuit to reveal the ribbon that Cyrus had previously worn. "I'd say a successful test, wouldn't you?" he asked Cyrus.

Before Xoria could protest, Cyrus held us his hand and explained. "Sav'ran and I were wondering if it protected only against magical ailments or other ones as well. Since I'm bigger and a little tougher, we figured I'd be able to handle potentially being poisoned or whatnot better than anyone else. Which is why Sav'ran was not only wearing the ribbon, but had an antivenin on hand."

"That was a dangerous experiment" Xoria said disapprovingly.

"Uh, oh, mom's mad at us," Sav'ran said from where he was inspecting the canoe. Xoria's eyes flashed but Cyrus and Teraptus were already laughing heartily.

"I am sorry Xoria; we had hoped to find something less threatening, like perhaps one of the giant snakes or spiders we've heard about." Xoria shook her head.

"I think the canoe got slightly damaged by your spell, Ter" Sav'ran announced. "Looks like you two mages are gonna be scooping out water the whole way there and back."

"Hey, that reminds me," Cyrus said. "When you saved Sav from the shark that time, you cast a lightning spell in the water, and Sav got shocked, too. How come that didn't happen in the Water Shrine?"

Teraptus smiled. "I have an answer for that, actually. That Oxyale is fairy magic, and fairies are notorious for bending rules when it suits their fancy, mostly due to the chaotic nature of their magic. Therefore, what the Oxyale does is imbues _us_ with the ability to treat water as if it were like water or like air, whichever is more beneficial to us at the time, even if that means both at once, such as how Sav'ran was able to swim through it, but still breathe it at the same time. Therefore, since it would have been harmful for the water to conduct my spell, it behaved as if it were air when I cast it. Same thing when we used the gauntlet."

"Wow," Sav'ran said, "you've been dying for one of us to ask you that, haven't you?"

Teraptus smiled sheepishly. "Let's just go and check out that cave."

* * *

The trolls shrieked in pain as the ball of fire engulfed them. Their screams died as the flame did, and the blackened husks fell to the cave floor. Sav'ran hurried over to the other troll that had been dispatched by Cyrus.

"Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" A jet of fire spouted from his fingertips to char the troll's remains, ensuring that its regenerative abilities would not revive it.

"You really like that fire spell, huh Sav?" Xoria asked. "Can't wait to burn up giant spider webs…even if it means attracting giant spiders."

"Hey, we took care of the spiders, didn't we?" Teraptus asked with a crooked smile.

Cyrus finished wiping his blade before returning it to its sheathe. "Is it me, or are these little run-ins with monsters getting easier?"

"Well, we ARE mighty heroes" Sav'ran said.

"No, I'm serious. We've been kind of brushing off encounters with creatures that would easily overpower almost anyone we know."

"Don't take Sav's answer too lightly Cyrus," Teraptus said, "the prophecy is not a joke. Look at the kinds of magic that Xoria and I can handle now, as opposed to what we had access to when we first set out. Even you and Sav'ran have learned some magic, and in record time. Remember what Vincentio told us? It took him years to master his first few spells; you two have done it in weeks."

"Not just the prophecy, but also Bahamut's blessing," Xoria added. "I know my magic was immediately stronger after that, and I noticed both of you seemed stronger, tougher, and just in every way better right after that."

Cyrus mused on that point a bit. "Mighty heroes, huh? Well, we DID slay a dragon."

Sav'ran laughed. "More to the point, we slew a dragon incidentally on our way to do something else; it wasn't even the highlight of that day."

Everyone else laughed as they continued through the cave. The cave had several winding tunnels, most of which led to dead ends, and there were no signs of Lufenian architecture anywhere. The caves were, however, inhabited with trolls, giant spiders the size of horses, and undead. Of those, the necrotized minotaurs were not even the worst of their worries.

The attack on them came without warning as a black, ghostly hand reached through the wall and sank into Teraptus' body. Immediately thereafter, two more figures showed up. All three looked like hooded humanoids, save that they were almost transparent, and they floated.

"Wraiths!" Xoria said. "They'll be hard to hurt."

Sav'ran had already discovered that, as his blows seemed to meet with less resistance than they should have against a corporeal foe. Cyrus wasted no time, however in hacking at the closest one to him until whatever ethereal substance it was made of dissipated.

"One more!" Teraptus cried, as another came through the ceiling. The new one had a visible face beneath its hood, but the face was of a corpse in late decay, a mostly skeletal visage with glowing red eyes.

Xoria stood strong. "Desaréna Incantumsúl Absolvasonata!" Her hand glowed white, and the light intensified. Try as they might, the other Light Warriors could not keep their eyes open in the brightness. When it subsided, only the recent arrival remained, and even though it was incorporeal, it looked as if it had suffered some very grievous physical wounds. Its cloak was in tatters, there were large, gaping holes in its chest, and the lower jaw of its face had been completely burned away.

It advanced on Xoria, but Teraptus was already ready for it. He extended his staff towards it, and the metal dragon once again opened it mouth. A small bead of fire shot to the cave floor beneath the monster, and it was immediately engulfed in a column of flame, destroying it.

Xoria healed Teraptus, and the next turn they made in the cave complex yielded exactly what they had been looking for. There was a doorway carved into the stone of the cave walls, obviously not natural. At the top of the doorway was some runes, identical to the ones in the Ice Cave.

"What's it say Xoria?" Teraptus asked in a quiet voice.

Xoria studied the runes for a few moments. "I think it's some kind of research facility."

They entered the room, the light from Xoria's spell flooding the room, which seemed, for the most part empty. There were a few small crates against one wall, and against the other wall was a large, humanoid shape of some kind.

As they cautiously approached it, it suddenly sprang to life. Its body was made of metal, and lights covered a great panel in the center of its chest. Its eyes were dimly glowing white lights, and there was an unmoving slot for its mouth. It took a step towards them, arms extending as if to reach out and strangle the intruders.

Xoria said something in a strange language and the thing halted.

"What did you just do?" Sav'ran asked.

Xoria herself looked amazed. "I told it to stop in the Temple's language."

Cyrus grunted, not lowering his weapon. "Guess there really is a connection, huh?"

The thing looked to Xoria and spoke to her in the same language. Then its chest cavity opened and a small shelf slid out, upon which was a strange cube.

"What did it say?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria shook her head. "It was kind of broken; I think this thing is malfunctioning. It said 'Take this…cube…defeat…Tiamat…Flying…Fortress'. I think maybe Tiamat might be the Air Fiend."

When Xoria removed the strange cube, all the lights went out of the thing and it was once again completely inert. Sav'ran sheathed his sword and went to inspect the crates. After a moment of examining the inert thing, Cyrus joined him.

"Koppe's robot…" Teraptus mused.

Xoria looked up from examining the cube. "What was that, dear?" Sav'ran snickered from the crate he was rummaging through, but the mages ignored him.

"Koppe, in Onlak, he said he saw a robot streak through the sky a few months ago. This thing certainly looks like a robot to me."

"Maybe it came from the Air Shrine," Cyrus said, grunting as he lifted a small box out of the crate. He dropped it before he could set it down, and the lid opened, revealing several very old coins.

Sav'ran whistled. "I know some coin collectors in Cornelia and Pravoca that would pay handsomely for those, more than their face value."

"Nice," Cyrus said, "what did you find in that one?"

Sav'ran had a triumphant smile as he held out a ribbon identical to the one Cyrus had been given by the mermaids. He handed it to Teraptus who immediately identified it as another of the same.

"I think we should give it to Xoria," Teraptus said. "That way, nothing debilitates her that she can't then heal us of."

Everyone agreed. Then, after searching the remaining crates and finding nothing of interest, they decided to head back to the airship.

* * *

The airship roared over the Cardian Isles, over the Citadel of Challenges, and over the great desert. As they flew over the desert, they could see great sandstorms, as well as a number of monsters roaming about the desert. They also saw the Tower of Mirage, as the residents of Gaia called it. It was a tall tower, wide at the base, with progressively smaller levels as the tower rose into the sky. Xoria slowed the airship to a halt directly above the tower. There was no visible entrance from the sky; the top appeared to be made of a small pyramid of crystal.

Teraptus, however, was not looking down, but up. "Look!" he cried, pointing directly above them.

The Light Warriors turned their gazes straight up into the sky. High above them, directly over the Tower of Mirage, was something floating in the clouds, much higher than they had ever flown their airship.

"Xoria, can you fly the airship that high?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria shook her head. "Not safely. The winds get too rough that high. I would imagine that it has something to do with the Air Fiend's corruption. Otherwise these people would have used their airships to return home by now."

"Well, I think since we know that we can't enter this tower just yet, we should head on down to Hawkwing" Cyrus suggested. The others agreed, and the airship lurched into motion again.

* * *

The town that they flew over was almost large enough to be considered a small city, being slightly larger than Pravoca. It was composed of architecture that looked very strange to the four Light Warriors. The roofs of the houses were round, and all the walls of the buildings were white. The town appeared to be well fortified against monster attacks, as a large wall surrounded it. Soldiers wearing strange armor and carrying large pole arms walked the walls. As they flew over, looking for a place to land, the people of the town began moving around very quickly, many more coming out of their homes to stare at the flying ship above them. Xoria found a clearing just outside the walls of the town, and set the airship down. Teraptus, as always, was the first one off the ship, relieved to be on solid ground.

The Light Warriors approached the town together, walking four abreast. At Teraptus' suggestion, they wore their crystals on the outside, hoping to identify themselves as the Light Warriors, just in case the guards proved to be overly protective.

A small contingent of people was already headed out the gates to meet them. The weapons carried by the soldiers, Cyrus noted, were very strange. Though they looked like pole arms, there was something different about them. There was a large blade at the end, but also some kind of tube or metal barrel attached to what seemed to be a small, but complex, piece of machinery. With the soldiers was an old man in ornate robes, looking to be the leader of the people here. His weathered face broke into a large smile when he saw the Light Warriors approach.

"Should I say something?" Cyrus asked Xoria quietly.

The leader of the small group then spoke, in a surprisingly strong voice for someone who looked so frail. His words, however, were lost on three of the Light Warriors, who immediately looked to Xoria for a translation. She herself was surprised to find that she did, indeed, understand him. The dialect of the Lufenian people, it seems, had not changed in the centuries since the four 'celestial warriors' came to Cornelia.

"He…he said…" Xoria almost choked on the words, her throat felt dry. "He said 'Welcome to Lufenia, Light Warriors'".

She spoke to the old man in the language of the temple and he nodded, said something to his guards and turned to enter the town.

"He said we're welcome to come in. There's no inn or anything, but he's going to arrange somewhere for the rest of you to rest while I speak to him."

"You want me to stay with you?" Teraptus asked.

Xoria smiled at him. "No, thank you. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, sitting there in the middle of a conversation that you can't understand. This is something I need to do alone."

* * *

"Are you comfortable, My Lady?" the old man asked Xoria.

"Yes, sir, thank you" Xoria replied.

"And your friends, are they comfortable My Lady?"

"Yes, they are. And there's no need for formality, I'm not nobility."

The old man looked puzzled. "But your garb…"

Xoria nodded, remembering what Bahamut had told her. "Yes, this is a result of the blessing of the Dragon King, Bahamut."

The old man's eyes widened. "Truly? Then perhaps you are deserving of more respect than your garb indicates. But surely, you must have questions."

Xoria nodded eagerly. "There's so much I want to know. Who are your people? Where do they come from? How is this all connected to the Air Shrine?"

"As I told you before, this is Lufenia. Our people were once known as the Sky People. Over 400 years ago, our civilization reached new heights. We turned our eyes to the heavens and reached the stars. But all that is lost now, reduced to a mere memory."

"Reached the stars?" Xoria said, not understanding completely.

"Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, the four forces that make up the world. We were blessed with the power of Wind, and with it, we suspended a castle in the clouds. We called our magnificent city Ysgard. It was a technological wonder, far beyond anything any of the people of the world had ever seen, then or now. Our duty to protect the Wind Shrine was also a joy to us, because the Shrine enabled us a study of the heavens and the earth below that we could not otherwise hope for."

"Where is Ysgard now?" Xoria asked.

"The Flying Fortress floats among the clouds; the Tower of Yanikulum is the entrance."

"The tower…the residents of Gaia call it the Tower of Mirage, because there seems to be no way into or out of it. We saw it ourselves from our airship as we flew here."

"Ah, that vessel of yours is an airship. Our ancestors built and used it long ago. We used to have many others like it, but most were destroyed when were cast out of our home. The vessel that carried our survivors to this place was mostly destroyed on impact. The other ships that were docked in Ysgard at the time were destroyed in their docking ports."

"How did that happen?"

"Our power, the power of Wind, was taken by Tiamat. We faced Tiamat, but could not defeat her."

"Tiamat…is that the Air Fiend?"

The old man nodded. "She is a fearsome beast. Our legends tell us that she flew directly into the Air Shrine itself, killing most of the human guardians. Those that survived told of her immediately grasping the crystal of the Shrine and pouring her corrupting influence into it. She immediately took control of all of Ysgard's automated defenses, and more than half of our people were cut down by the very constructs we had created to protect us."

"You tried to fight her before you left?"

"Yes," he said sadly. "None of the warriors sent to face her returned, but they did manage to sound an alarm that let the rest of us know to evacuate immediately."

"Have you ever tried to return?"

The old man shook his head. "To do so would only invite disaster. Tiamat controls the Air Shrine, and her corruption prevented us from reaching it with our airships again. There was always the Tower, but our sages foresaw disaster should our warriors enter it."

"So what did you do?"

"We believe another power is behind the four fiends. In ages past, our five greatest warriors went in search of a way to reclaim our home, but they were turned into bats and have not been heard from since."

Xoria could not disguise her surprise and gave a slight start. The old man raised an eyebrow at her. "Perhaps I should explain my story, and how I have come to know your language and be dressed such as I am."

With that, she explained to him the legends of her temple. Of the celestial warriors, of the worship of Ysgard, and the descendants of the warriors. She shared everything that Xion had shared with her, including the story of her bloodline, and the portent of destiny that Xion had laid out for her. She also briefly covered the prophecy of Lukhin, the gathering of the Light Warriors, and the destruction of each of the Fiends. When she was done, she was mentally exhausted.

The old man nodded. "I see now. And you should know that Bahamut was indeed correct in clothing you as he did. All five of those we sent were warrior-priests, and in our society, the keepers of the Shrine held the highest status in the city, as they were the ones safeguarding that which kept Ysgard high in the heavens. Therefore, there were the closest thing we had to nobility, and you, yourself, are the union of not two, but five noble bloodlines. And to be the bearer of a Wizard Mark, the Touch of Bahamut, and one of the Crystals…that might just make you the most important Lufenian who ever lived."

"But my people…the worship of Ysgard…we have it all wrong!"

The old man smiled gently. "Perhaps not. The only misconception you seem to have is to reconcile your reverence for Ysgard with the idea of Ysgard as a place. For us, there is no paradox in such a thought. Your people are correct in that they venerate Ysgard as search for a return to a paradise, the only thing wrong is to attach the idea of Ysgard to a consciousness, and to separate the ideas of 'paradise' from Ysgard." The old man went to an ornate chest at the center of the back wall of his house. He opened it and came to Xoria with a cloth wrapped bundle, narrow, and about one foot in length. As she unwrapped it, it turned out to be a metal tube, open at only one end, with strange swooping designs, as if to symbolize Wind, on the surface. "This chime will allow you to enter the Tower of Yanikulum," the old man said. "Use it. Defeat Tiamat and restore the power of Wind. And then, My Lady, there is one more task before you and the Light Warriors."

"What's that?" Xoria asked, puzzled.

"You must complete the task which your ancestors started. Find the Great Evil that led the Fiends through time to destroy our world. You must destroy Khayoss."

* * *

The rest of the Light Warriors were enjoying the strange Lufenian food that the people seemed delighted to serve them. The food was bland, but not altogether unpleasant, but rather scarce of meat. After they ate, some musicians came in and began to play for them. Cyrus found the tune to be very similar to the basic song he had learned in Cornelia, and he mentioned this to his companions.

It was fairly late in the day when Xoria finally returned to them. The first thing she did was fall into Teraptus' arms and hold him tightly. He held her in his arms to comfort her, even thought he knew nothing of why she seemed shaken. She asked the musicians to leave and then she related to them all everything that the village elder had told her.

When she was done, there were grim faces all around. Even Sav'ran had nothing light and bantering to add. They all agreed to head out immediately. At Cyrus and Teraptus' suggestion, they made one more stop before they headed for the tower.

* * *

Smythe was smiling when they stepped into his shop again. "I'm glad you've arrived. I just finished forging the sword for you a few days ago. I've been working almost non-stop. It's the finest thing to ever emerge from my forge." He went to his work bench, which was covered up with a large tarp. He removed the tarp to reveal a huge broadsword. Its handle was gilded all over with gold. A golden dragon head was at the center of the crosspiece, and the blade seemed to be emerging from the dragon's open mouth. There were large, exquisitely cut gemstones in the hilt and the pommel.

Cyrus went forward and picked the blade up. "Amazing!" he said, "It doesn't feel that heavy at all!"

Smythe nodded. "That's because it's not only the finest dwarven craftsmanship, but I know a touch of magic myself. Magic of the forge to create magical weapons and armor."

Teraptus looked concerned. "Should you be doing that at your age Smythe?"

Smythe smiled. "Though the magic takes a lot out of me, I have waited my entire life to forge that sword. There are enchantments on the sword more powerful than any I have ever wrought. No other metal would ever be able to withstand the power of them. I've poured into that blade the very heart of my forge, the very essence of _sword_."

Teraptus looked to his forge, now cold. "The heart of your forge?"

Smythe nodded. "Aye. My forge will never see fire again. Placing that into the blade extinguished my forge forever. But I am happy. I can retire now to my twilight years knowing that not only did I aid the Light Warriors, but I have achieved the perfection of creation as much as any artisan can ever know."

"This blade…" Cyrus said from where he was swinging it back and forth in practice forms, "I can't describe it. I can feel the power in it, but also…a sense of…I don't know how to explain this, but…Right."

Smythe nodded and smiled again. "Aye. That blade can only ever be wielded by someone with a good heart. It is the ultimate weapon for combating evil. With it, I cement my own place in history as one of the greatest smiths in existence. That blade is second to none but the legendary Masamune."

"Masamune?" Sav'ran said, interested.

"Aye, lad. The legendary blade itself. Said to imbue upon its wielder the knowledge of perfect swordsmanship. The blade could cut through anything and was said to have been used for both good and evil. From the mightiest warrior to the lowliest, weakest peasant, anyone who wielded it became the most formidable swordsman in existence."

"What happened to it?" Teraptus asked.

Smythe shrugged. "No one knows. No one can be sure that the blade ever existed."

"Does this blade have a name?" Cyrus asked respectfully.

Smythe's chest puffed up with pride. "Aye, a name that I hope will one day have great deeds and legends attached to it as well. Excalibur."

* * *

Desert winds roared around them. They had already had to take shelter from one particularly vicious sandstorm, and thought this one was bad, it was not unbearable. The denizens of the Desert of Mirage were creatures well adapted to the climate. Great, armored, burrowing beasts, as well as large bipedal lizards with rows upon rows of dagger-like teeth. These they dispatched with ease, but the great worms who dwelt beneath the sand were their largest concern, for they could strike at them with very little warning. And they were large enough to swallow them whole. By the time they were within a mile of the Tower of Yanikulum, the ground had become more rocky than sandy, and they no longer had to fear of the worms burrowing beneath them. It took them two whole days to cross the desert on foot, and when they reached the tower, they set up camp before going in, deciding it would be better to be fully rested and refreshed before braving the challenges of the Air Shrine.

The next morning, Xoria moved to the great, sealed door of the tower. The rest of the Light Warriors stood beside her. She pulled out the chime that the Lufenian elder had given her. She tapped it on the door and a bell-like sound, loud, but not painfully so, echoed all around them. There seemed to come a glow from the door, which grew brighter until it engulfed them. When it subsided, they were inside.

It was apparent everywhere they looked that the Lufenians had access to superior technology than anything they had ever seen before. A small robot, with a spherical body, noticed them upon their entrance and immediately began beeping very loudly in alarm. It was joined by two more and they immediately began bearing down on the Light Warriors, chanting in the Lufenian language.

"What are they saying?" Cyrus asked, his hand already on the hilt of Excalibur.

"They're attacking us!" Xoria cried, "They think we're intruders!"

The robots began firing bolts of yellow light at them, which, Teraptus was the first to discover, burned very badly when they struck home. Cyrus managed to deflect several blasts off his shield and discovered to his chagrin that even Excalibur, which had performed so well against the beasts of the desert, could not fell these things in one blow.

Sav'ran was doing what he could to dodge the thing, which was as capable a melee combatant as ranged. After severing the mechanism on its arm that fired the blasts, it continued to tray and pummel at him with its arms.

Xoria, surprisingly, was having the most luck. With each swing of Mjolnir, the crackle of electricity seemed to stun the robot. Teraptus recovered and quickly assessed the situation. "Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Lightning flew from his fingertips and blasted into the one Xoria was fighting, the bolt then arced into Sav'ran's opponent, and then into the one Cyrus faced off against. The chain of lightning blasted great holes into the bodies of each of them, and all three fell to the ground, charred and inert, some of them with small fires burning inside their now-inanimate shells.

"Wow, those things are tough!" Cyrus said.

"Lightning seemed to work really well, though" Xoria mused. "Even the bit from this hammer. I think we'd do well to make extensive use of that gauntlet to spare our magical resources.

As they explored the first floor, Sav'ran fell into step with Teraptus. "You know, even though I must have heard you use that spell so many times, suddenly, when I heard it, all of it fell into place in my mind. It's like, I suddenly understand the spell, the way it interacts with the first-tier lightning spell I know. I think…I think I could cast it now if I tried."

"Really?" Teraptus said, impressed. "Maybe we should let you have a crack at it next time we fight more of those things, instead of jumping straight to using the gauntlet."

And they did. Sav'ran almost stuttered when casting the spell the first time in the face of oncoming enemies, but he got the spell off. Teraptus finished the survivors off with the gauntlet. They continued their way up the levels of the towers, encountering nothing but several robotic guardians of various shapes and sizes, all lethally equipped to deal with intruders. There was no sign on any of the floors of any of the technology being in full functionality.

At last they reached the top of the tower. From the center of the room in front of them, they could hear the whir of machinery that was still working! Very excited, they entered the room a little too recklessly.

Lightning and wind buffeted them and knocked all but Cyrus off their feet. Cyrus gagged slightly, a foul taste in his mouth. He spared a glance back and saw that Xoria, too, was coughing, but that Sav'ran and Teraptus were starting to retch violently, and clutching their throats, unable to breathe.

"They've been poisoned!" Xoria cried from behind him, but Cyrus had other concerns. Before him was a great, green-blue dragon whose shimmering scales seemed reminiscent of moving clouds. Unlike the Cardian dragons, this creature had no sparkle of intelligence in its eyes, it was a beast, pure and simple. It roared and began to charge him.

Cyrus met the creature's charge with one of his own, hoping his boldness would not only distract it away from his injured companions, but perhaps take it off guard. The beast was unprepared to have such a smaller creature charge at it, and, indeed, its charge halted, and its claws scraped against the floor. Cyrus swung several times, each swing striking true, and great rends appeared in the dragon's flesh, it's armored scaled providing no more protection from Excalibur than if they were made of warm butter. The beast roared in agony, and bit at Cyrus, but its teeth did not penetrate his shield. The beast roared again as Sav'ran, cured of the poison, landed on its back and plunged his curved blade into the base of its neck.

Teraptus, too, had recovered, healed by Xoria. "Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" Waves of blue energy streaked towards the dragon, forming three large spears of ice in mid-air. All three plunged into the dragon's chest, the wounds themselves visibly freezing over in the dragon's body.

The dragon was weak, and stumbling and Xoria closed in. She hurled her hammer at the beast's head, and with a crack like rolling thunder, the hammer smashed into the beast's jaw, shattering it completely, a crackle of lightning raced around its limp head and it slumped to the floor. The hammer spun through the air and returned to Xoria's hand.

The imminent threat defeated, the Light Warriors looked about the room before lowering their defenses. The small pyramid of crystal they had seen form above made a sort of skylight in the center of the ceiling. The robots here more closely resembled the one which had given them the cube in the waterfall cavern. They did not appear to be built for combat, and indeed, made no move to attack them. When Xoria cautiously questioned them, they had little information to provide, save for one useful bit. That they needed a command cube to activate the gate in the center of the room.

The "gate", was an area directly underneath the crystal pyramid in the ceiling. There was a two-foot wall around the area, marking it as different from the area around it. The Light Warriors stepped into the marked off area and Xoria commanded the cube to take them to Ysgard.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, this time in the Lufenian language.

* * *

The sensation of being transported was not unlike when the Shrines were used to teleport them out once they had reactivated it. They found themselves in a garden-like plaza, but at the edges of the walkways, instead of manicured lawns, there was a vast, empty expanse filled with clouds and howling winds.

The walkway they were on extended to a central hub, from which there seemed to be several options. "I don't suppose the old guy gave you a map?" Sav'ran asked. Xoria shook her head. "Any dances or anything?" he countered, smirking.

Teraptus shot him a dirty look but said nothing. They all ventured carefully to the central area. A man dropped from above, what must have been a horrendous fall, but landed gracefully as if he had only fallen a few feet. He looked at them and said something in the language of Lufenians.

"He thinks we're survivors, here after all this time" Xoria translated. "But…something's wrong with him, they way he said it…he didn't sound relieved…"

Cyrus immediately drew his blade. "I thought there were no survivors. And if nothing's gotten in or out in 400 years…"

Teraptus hissed. "Undead." At which point, the strange man leaped at them, fangs extended, hands stretched out like claws.

"Fithostra Ignusious Rajakan Eklusul!" the cry came not from Teraptus, but from Sav'ran. The bead of fire danced along his blade and straight into the oncoming vampire. A column of flame erupted from within the vampire, incinerating it completely before it could even land. The danger was far from over, however, as seven more of them were now rapidly converging on them.

The Light Warriors formed a defensive formation, with their backs only to each other. When she had decided that most of them were in her range, Xoria unleashed her spell. "Desaré Incantum Absolva!" The white light that filled the air seemed to erase the vampires on contact as it expanded. When it subsided, only one remained, and although he had been in range and been hurt by the spell, he did not appear to be in danger of expiring soon.

He looked bigger and stronger than any of the vampires they had seen thus far, including Vasilly. Cyrus didn't waste any time, and began attacking once it was clear that all other threats to his companions had been eliminated. The vampire lord was fast, however, and escaped with only minimal cuts and scratches. Worse, Cyrus noted, the creature was healing before his eyes. "Hurry!" he cried, "this thing can heal itself fast!" He quickly found himself on the defensive, as the vampire lord struck with seemingly even more force than the cloud dragon had.

A column of flame engulfed his enemy before his eyes, and again, the white light of Xoria's spell burned into its flesh. When it moved to attack the two mages, Sav'ran leaped out form where he had been camouflaged and severed the thing's arm. It turned to face him and Cyrus was there to meet it. He split the vampire crown to crotch and the two halves fell to either side, turning to dust before they even hit the ground.

"I think we know what happened to the warriors who went to go face Tiamat" Teraptus said solemnly. Everyone else nodded.

The center of this floor also proved to house something strange. There was a dome in the floor, and when they looked into it, they could see the entire world laid out beneath them. They could make out the shapes of all the continents, and even the locations of the Shrines.

"Look!" Teraptus said, in a voice barely above a whisper. His, Sav'ran's and Cyrus' crystals had begun to glow a little bit brighter. Even Xoria's crystal, as yet inactive, held a muted green glow. Within the globe, on the map, they could see energy pouring out of each of the Shrine locations, all of the energy of each converging on one location. There was a stream of yellow for Earth, red for Fire, blue for Water, even a trickle of green energy coming from the center of the Mirage Desert on the map. "All the energies of the Shrines converge in one location! All the Shrines seem to be equidistant from one place!" They all looked closer on the map. The place where all the energies converged was just north and slightly west of where all of this began. On the Cornelian continent, a peninsula to the north, a spot on the map marked by an icon of a castle.

"The Temple of Fiends," Cyrus said quietly. "That's where Garland had holed up with Princess Sarah. What's the connection?"

"Maybe there isn't one," Xoria said.

"I don't know," Sav'ran said, "there haven't been a whole lot of coincidences since we started on this journey."

"Perhaps the true answer to what happened to your stepfather is connected to this mystery," Teraptus supplied.

Still troubled, but somewhat satisfied with Teraptus' answer, Cyrus suggested they move on. Aside from a few more of the small robotic sentinels, the floor was mostly unoccupied. These were easily dispatched with the gauntlet, and a hard and fast application of Cyrus Sav'ran's steel.

The means to gain access to the next floor up was a strange structure in the floor. There was a half-circle of metal and stone, all of which was covered in lines of glowing blue-green light. When they all stepped into the half-circle, a disc of green light descended from above and enveloped them all, as the green light faded, they were on a different floor of the fortress. And in a nest of monsters.

Three great leonine monsters with huge bat-like wings were prowling the room into which they had arrived. The tails of these creatures ended in a cluster of long black spikes. One of them roared at their intrusion, and the other three immediately took notice. The first one immediately crouched down and raised its tail above them. The tail flicked forward and a hail of long black spikes came flying at them all. Cyrus blocked several with his shield, but his companions were not so lucky, each of them had at least 3 spines embedded several inches into their flesh. The other two closed in to attack. Cyrus immediately moved to intercept one, and Sav'ran pulled the spines out of his side with a curse and faded from sight as he rolled between the two that were advancing. Teraptus, too, had to pull spines from his body, and he finished just in time to raise his staff to catch the jaws of the beast trying to bite him. Its tail came up over its head, to fire another volley, but then Sav'ran reappeared as he sliced the tail off from behind.

Cyrus, meanwhile, was making short work of the beast he fought. Already crippled and missing a wing, the beast was trying to back off as the knight advanced upon it. The first creature, meanwhile, was moving to flank him.

There was a crack of thunder and lightning as Xoria struck the head of the one facing Teraptus with her hammer. The beast's eyes seemed glazed for a moment, and it backed away from the mage. That was all the time Sav'ran need, though, and he leaped up onto its back and plunged his sword into the base of its neck. With a gurgling sigh it collapsed. A cry to their right drew their attention, as Cyrus had not yet finished off the beast he was fighting, and the first had flanked him from behind and now the two were attacking him with claws, teeth and tails.

Xoria was the first to act. "Halinos Ethran Aesthta Loriat!" Golden light spread from her hands and washed over all of them. They all felt their wounds close and heal as the light bathed them.

Teraptus was not far behind. "Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" Ice crystals appeared around both creatures, and the wounded one died immediately when one pierced its midsection. The other was quickly coated and covered as the ice formed around it, and it was soon completely encased in a block of ice. Cyrus dropped his shield, gripped Excalibur with two hands and shattered the ice, shattering the creature inside as well.

They checked themselves over and made sure they were not too badly hurt before continuing on.

* * *

As they made their way through the second and later the third floors of the fortress, they found more and more robotic sentinels, and even a few more vampiric Lufenians. These, too, were more powerful than the vampire who had served the Earth Fiend. They soon found more advanced versions of the robot sentinels. These ones were larger, darker, and some of them resembled armored humans with blade-like arms. Powerful melee opponents, they proved resistant to the gauntlet tactic that they had used with the smaller sentinels. To conserve their more versatile magic, they found themselves low on potions when they finally found the strange green-disc contraptions that allowed travel between the various floors of the fortress.

* * *

"We've been on this same floor for almost an hour," Sav'ran complained. The floor in question was a labyrinth of hallways, and at each intersection, there was another green disc transporter. After some experimentation, they determined that each of the transporters led them back to the one that they entered this floor at, constantly bringing them back to the same place.

"There's got to be a way to figure this out," Teraptus said, frustrated. "Did the Lufenian Elder say anything about this?"

Xoria shook her head. "No, but I suppose it's possible that the Wind Fiend may have altered the destinations of all the transporters as some kind of security measure."

"Perhaps that means we're getting close" Cyrus supplanted.

Suddenly, the floor seemed to shake slightly, and only a moment later, it did so again. A loud sound accompanied each shake, as if from horrendously huge footfalls. Both the sound and the tremors were getting closer, and all of the Light Warriors became on their guard, looking out for any sign of danger.

Cyrus was the first one to see the source of the commotion. His mouth dropped open and all he could do was stare, agape at what was causing the disturbances.

It was huge, that much was certain, and like many of the Fortress' defenses, it was robotic in nature, but it was unlike any of the other defenders they had seen so far. It stood over 15 feet tall, on two thick mechanical legs. The center of its body was pod-shaped, and under the pod were barrels of what looked to be weapons, much like the other defenders, but on a larger scale. Each of the thing's robotic arms were also similarly equipped with weapon systems, and as the thing turned to face them, its arms came up and it began accelerating towards them. This thing was clearly an engine of destruction, and now they were in its sights.

Her mind blank, unable to form any kind of strategy that might work against such a behemoth, Xoria's hand fell limply to her side, the command cube falling to the floor by her feet.

* * *

The green disc descended from the top of the machine, down, revealing as it did, the Light Warriors. They had reached the pinnacle of the Fortress, and before them was a 20 foot wide bridge that extended about 200 feet until it reached the high arched door that surely led to the Wind Shrine. The winds howled around them, shrieking, but they did not buffet the four as they crossed the bridge. As they came before the door, they all looked at each other, reassuring their comrades that they were ready. Nobody spoke. The encounter with WARMECH had left them tired, but by exhausting the very last of their potions, they were completely restored. Xoria held out the command cube and lights traced along its surface. The doors to the Shrine opened.

The altar was the only thing that looked identical to the other Shrines, with the circular pit in the center, above which was the large floating crystal. Of course it was not currently glowing, but they could see a green sheen to the crystal's surface. And like every other Shrine, the corrupting Fiend was not far from the source of its power.

An enormous dragon, the likes of which dwarfed all the dragons they had seen until now, perched on a ledge above and behind the altar. Its body was a shimmering, oily color, seeming to be several colors at once. Its long tail ended in a vicious stinger that was no doubt poisonous. Five long, serpentine necks emerged from the shoulders, and all five pairs of eyes were now focused onto the intruders into its lair. When the Fiend spoke, it spoke with all five heads in five harmonious voices that were almost…beautiful.

"Well done, humans. You have defeated all but one Fiend: Tiamat of Wind."

Cyrus pointed his sword at the dragon. "We mean to correct that oversight today."

Tiamat's ten eyes narrowed. "Arrogant fool! Slave of Bahamut! You cannot comprehend the magnitude of the forces against which you stand!"

"Those 'forces' haven't stopped us yet" Sav'ran taunted. Behind him, Xoria traced a pattern onto the surface of the cube in her hand. Unnoticed by Tiamat, a green flash of light came from far behind the Light Warriors, back by the transporter.

"The Lich was an arrogant fool, and was caught unawares, Marilith you destroyed simply because she had not yet fully awakened from her slumber, and Kraken you only defeated through the interference of mermaids and prodigious luck. Your luck ends here, however. There are no mermaids to assist you, no fairy power to shield you. The sky shall be your tomb!" And with that, Tiamat launched herself down in front of the altar, her wings spreading to slow the fall of her ponderous bulk and four claws dug deep grooves in the stone floor.

Teraptus was ready to enact his part of the plan. Cyrus and Sav'ran had kept the Fiend talking long enough. He had developed a new spell, one that required complete understanding of everything he had learned about the nature of magic and its interwoven threads throughout the world. It was a spell that knew could only be used sparingly, both because of the strain on the caster, but also on all magic and the world as a whole. It required him to focus enough energy ahead of time to even be able to cast it. And his friends had bought him that time. Though the spell was powerful, it was also sweet in its simplicity, the incantation not complex, the effect, devastating.

"Nathoria Ultima Krasus Extinkosha!" His hand were alight with green-black flames, and his companions were already shielding their eyes. Teraptus, his own eyes ablaze with black fire, green sparks flying from his mouth as he spoke, was well protected from the backlash of his own spell.

Tiamat was momentarily shocked. To one as well-versed in magic as she, those words carried with them a force that could be felt in the incantation alone. Spinning, concentric circles of purple energy encircled her, and sickly yellow-green light began focusing and gathering at a point near her chest. Frantically, Tiamat flapped her wings as though to fly, but was still dazed by the power of the incantation. The energy gathered, and suddenly all of it got sucked in at once, to one point in space.

There was an explosion of green, black, purple, and indigo flames. The force of the blast shook the entire Shrine. When light and flame subsided, Tiamat was visibly harmed. Gaping wounds in her body poured black, oily smoke, and arcs of green flashed over her chest. One of her heads seemed to be having trouble opening one of its eyes, and another one looked like it was missing part of the front of its snout. Enraged, she searched for her quarry, but all of the Light Warriors were now hiding behind cover, having dived there after the spell. Tiamat sneered and prepared to unleash the destructive power of her wrath.

And was blasted in the chest with incredible concussive force. Looking to the doorway, WARMECH stood, cannons leveled at her. More weapons bays were opening, and explosives fired away at her in a barrage of missiles, all of which exploded on her body, all the while, WARMECH's concussive cannons never ceased the steady rate of fire upon her. Her wings came together in front of her to shield her, although she was obviously still being hurt by the damage to them. Tiamat howled in agony. "Traitorous slave! I control the Shrine! You are my puppet! I am the ruler of this fortress! Obey me and destroy them!"

"It is your slave no longer, Fiend!" Xoria called. "You may control the defenses of the Fortress, but this one was created to defend Lufenians, not their Shrine! And it will serve to help destroy the defiler of this place!"

Tiamat shrieked again and her wings spread during a pause in the fire. One of her heads had been completely blown away, another hung from her shoulders, dead. The three remaining heads, however, opened their mouths and breathed forth pure, destructive force, aimed not at the well armored hull of WARMECH, but at the stone bridge at its right foot. The stone was blown away, and WARMECH could not support its weight on only one leg. Overbalanced, WARMECH plunged into the howling, windy abyss below.

Before Tiamat could even raise her heads up to full height again, Cyrus, already under the influence of Teraptus' spell of speed, launched a relentless assault on the serpentine neck closest to him. Her heads reared back and lashed forward to bite him. Only one scored a hit, however, because Sav'ran, seemingly invisible until he struck, lashed out, lightning fast with his blade, catching the dragon at the soft flesh of the corners of her mouths.

Tiamat clawed at both the warriors, Cyrus taking the hits as best he could, trying to block with his shield, and Sav'ran dancing nimbly to avoid them. Without warning, then, Tiamat's tail, arched up and over her head like a scorpion, its sharp stinger aimed directly for the nimble warrior. Before anyone could shout a warning, it plunged into Sav'ran's chest and emerged from his back, high and center in his chest.

"Sav'ran!" came the desperate shout from three voices as the tail withdrew and Sav'ran fell to the floor, limp as a rag doll. Angered beyond reason, and now seething with fury, Cyrus dropped his shield and began striking with Excalibur two-handed, the force and fury of his blows actually began driving the titanic dragon back a few steps.

Teraptus stood up to his full height, recovered now from his spell and consumed with rage. "Istraesolian Centantrumien Extolixianas!" Enormous ice crystals swiftly formed all around Tiamat and soon surrounded and began piercing her sides, the blue energy continued to form ice all around her, until Cyrus found himself hacking at a large block of ice, containing the Fiend. After only a few moments, however, the ice shattered, and Tiamat seemed to be shimmering with heat, flames

"I will enjoy tearing the meat from your bones!" Tiamat shrieked, sounding almost insane with fury now, voices no longer in harmony, but discordant.

Xoria stood now in the center of the Shrine, facing Tiamat. "Not today. Today you pay for the life of my friend, the lives of my people, and the suffering of this world.

"Haleos Ossuam Lumyna Ythorae!"

Ten spheres of pure, white energy suddenly surrounded Tiamat. Clearly an anathema to the Fiend, Tiamat shrank back, unwilling or unable to touch them. They circled her rapidly, spinning faster and faster, and then suddenly, they all shot up into the sky above. One of her heads followed the path of the spheres upwards. There was a gleam from above, such as from a sudden flash of light. Ten bolts of holy energy arced downwards. Into and through the Wind Fiend they went, clearly causing unspeakable agony to her. When the last beam had passed, Tiamat was shaking. She began to expand, and then contract greatly. She was shaking as if she was trying to fight off the inevitable. As she expanded again and the cracks began to show along her flesh, the expansion slowed, and her largest head was shaking, and with great effort she spoke.

"Khayoss…" And the Wind Fiend exploded in a blast of light.

There was no cheer among the Light Warriors, however. Cyrus, Teraptus and Xoria gathered around Sav'ran's still form. Xoria knelt by his head and the other two followed suit, one on each side. They all took each other's hands. Cyrus and Teraptus closed their eyes. Xoria's were open.

When she spoke, she spoke softly. "Lothossana Izynrator Fiwyrnal Exraneotas."


	7. Chapter 7

Solonor was, like all inhabitants of the afterlife, alerted instantly when one of his family members passed away and joined him. Moving as swiftly as he desired, he traveled to the Gates of Eternity. He found himself arriving at the same time as an old friend.

"It's too soon for him," said the human who was, likewise, now waiting at the Gates for the new arrival.

Solonor nodded. "We've been here less than a year."

The new arrival passed through the large golden gates. Neither Solonor nor the human had seen him in many years, and he had grown much. And more hardships than a normal child of his years were evidenced on his face. Still, he looked about with a sense of childlike wonderment, at the beauty around him. When he saw them, he recognized them instantly.

"Father! Grandpa!" Sav'ran cried, and ran to meet them, embracing them both. "Grandfather, you look so much younger!"

Sav'ran's grandfather chuckled. "Well, part of everyone's Eternal Reward is that we get to once again be in the prime of our lives."

"Speaking of prime of our life," Solonor began, "what are you doing here Savlas? You're much too young, what has happened?"

Sav'ran looked at his father gravely, but when he spoke it was with a sense of pride. "Father, the time of the prophecy has come, and I am one of the four chosen Light Warriors. Three of the four Fiends have been destroyed, and we were fighting the Wind Fiend when I…" Sav'ran suddenly looked alarmed. "Oh, no! My friends! I hope they're all right! Is there any way to check on them?"

Solonor shook his head. "We are distanced from the world of the living here, son. I know nothing of what has happened since Astos murdered me."

Sav'ran spared his father a tight grin. "I avenged you father. Elfheim is safe, Erevan is well again, and now sits on the throne."

Solonnor sighed in relief.

"The other Light Warriors and I were all pronounced Elf-Friends, and Erevan gave us the signet. We used it to enter the Citadel of Challenges, and proved our worth before the Dragon Lord, Bahamut."

"We're very proud of you, Savlas," his grandfather told him, clasping him on the shoulder.

"_Lothossana…"_

"Did you guys hear that?" Sav'ran said, perking up.

" _Izynrator…"_

"It sounded like Xoria! Oh no! We're losing the battle!"

"_Fiwyrnal…"_

Solonor shook his head. "I hear nothing my son. Who is Xoria?"

"_Exraneotas!"_

"Xoria is one of the Light Warriors, with me, she…" Sav'ran stopped, staring, as two cherub-like figures descended quickly and grabbed his shoulders. "Hey!"

"You're being called back," one said.

"If you want to go, you must decide now," said the other.

Sav'ran looked to his family. "Go," they both said, smiling. Sav'ran smiled and nodded.

There was a flash of light.

* * *

Sav'ran awoke on the floor, looking up at his friends. Cyrus had tears streaming down his face, and looked at Sav'ran in amazement.

"Xoria! You did it!" he pulled Sav'ran up into a rough embrace.

Teraptus, too, was smiling, and his eyes shone with moisture.

Xoria, for her part, felt exhausted. The spell had taken a lot out of her, but she already felt her strength returning. Teraptus helped her to her feet, as Sav'ran was all but hauled to his feet by an exuberant Cyrus.

Sav'ran looked around. "That's it, then?" he asked, seeing no sign of the Wind Fiend.

"Almost," Xoria said, moving towards the altar and removing her crystal from about her neck as she did so. She placed the crystal on the altar, and it jerked itself out of her hand. The pendant floated beneath the crystal on the altar, looking as if it was going to fall in the hole. And then, the pendant began to glow with a soft green light. It floated slowly upwards, until it touched the larger crystal on the altar. The larger crystal now burst into life, and a bright, but soft green glow filled the room. The crystal floated a little bit higher now, and began slowly rotating as it bobbed up and down in its place on the altar. The pendant, glowing steadily green now, floated back onto the altar and fell onto the floor at Xoria's feet. She knelt to retrieve it.

"I wonder…" she said, as she touched the restored crystal to the control cube she carried. The cube began glowing rapidly in shifting colors and strange sounds emerged from it. Xoria smiled.

'What was that about, dear?" Teraptus asked.

Still smiling, she said, "I just restored all the Fortresses defenses to full functionality. The remaining defenders should be now hunting down the monsters and undead that still inhabit this place until it is once again safe for habitation."

"I guess it's time to go now, then?" Cyrus said. "We know our next destination, but we've all been away from our homes for the better part of a year. I think, before we go to the Temple of Fiends, we should all visit our loved ones."

"Getting pessimistic on us, Cyrus?" Sav'ran asked. "That sounds an awful lot like you want to say goodbye."

Cyrus' face was grim. "Sav, what happened here…with you…it reminded me that prophecy only ensures that we will quest together to save the world, but we remain mortal and can't be reckless. Yes, I'd like to see some people before we continue just in case I don't get the chance again."

There were no arguments. Xoria activated the crystal. There was a flash of light.

* * *

The crystal, unfortunately, only landed them outside the Tower of Mirage. They had to make their way across the desert on foot back to the airship. It seemed that fewer monsters bothered them on their way back, but more than one denizen of the desert never saw another meal after it tried to make one of the Light Warriors that day.

Xoria piloted the airship to the Lufenian village first. She wanted to deliver the news to the elder that they had succeeded. When she returned, he confirmed what they had seen in the viewing window in the fortress. The evil of "Khayoss" was originating somewhere on the Cornelian continent.

The airship sped first to Elfheim. The Light Warriors were immediately admitted to the palace, and Sav'ran spent only an hour with his brother before announcing that he was ready to leave.

"You sure?" Xoria asked, surprised.

Sav'ran smiled. "I know I'll see him again. Besides…not a whole lot of happy thoughts here for me right now, remember?"

Teraptus nodded. "I understand, Sav. I probably won't want to stay in Melmond long, either. Just check in on Zuriel, and that's pretty much it."

"Wanna beat up some of those bullies?" Sav'ran asked, grinning.

Teraptus shook his head. "Tempting, but I'm above that, really. At this point it wouldn't even be fair. And all the ridicule I received from them has made me value my true friendships that much more."

The trip to Melmond was indeed brief. Though he did not seek revenge, Teraptus was delighted at the idea of putting on a little show. As the airship roared over head and settled as close to the town as possible, Teraptus strode out, staff in hand, looking for all the world as if he possessed enough magical might to turn the entire town upside down. Xoria and him had worked several minor enchantments to make the runes on his robes glow, and he allowed small tendrils of flame to constantly lick up the staff that he carried. His eyes seemed to crackle with lightning, and when his childhood tormentors saw him and recognized him, they fled in terror, spineless bullies to the core.

Zuriel had been elected mayor, and was busy planning a Harvest Festival. It would be smaller than those in his childhood, but the crops, though recovering nicely, did not miraculously undo overnight what the Earth Fiend had done. Teraptus kept his visit brief, and ended it with a firm, friendly handshake that turned into a bear hug from his old friend. Zuriel escorted him to the airship, wanting to meet Xoria again, now that she was Teraptus' fiancé, and promised to stand with him at the wedding before bidding them farewell.

It was late in the day but not quite evening when they saw the white walls of Cornelia in view. They set the airship down a respectable distance from the town walls, and strode at a stately pace to the front gates, where several guards were already hastily assembling.

"Good afternoon, Captain!" Cyrus called out to the soldier who was clearly the ranking officer. It was the same captain who had greeted them when they returned from rescuing Princess Sarah.

"Cyrus? Is that you? All of you! You looked so different…and that…that flying boat…I…I apologize." He barked an order to his men to stand down.

The Light Warriors walked into town. Cyrus realized he had not been home once since they learned the true nature of the prophecy. It seemed almost a lifetime ago that he was walking through Cornelia with four new companions to go confront the only father he had ever known. He was, he supposed, an entirely different person then. He looked down once more at the accoutrements that Bahamut had given him. Nothing he carried was the same; new sword, new armor…they were all wealthy now, traveled in a flying ship…so much had changed. The crystal, itself, was no longer the same, it now always glowed with a steady blue, and its purpose was no longer a mystery.

"Shall I introduce you?" the elderly chamberlain asked.

Cyrus shook himself out of his reverie. They were inside the castle, at the doors to the throne room. Seeing that Cyrus was daydreaming, Xoria took the man aside and whispered to him for a moment. The chamberlain nodded, and opened the double doors. The Light Warriors strode in behind the chamberlain. The throne room had not changed much, nor had the king and queen, sitting on their twin thrones. Princess Sarah, however, was now almost a whole year older, and at 17, the year made a difference. She was clearly maturing into a beautiful young woman, and she now sat in a chair near her mother and father on the dais, presumably, to learn the details of royal duties. When she saw Cyrus' face, her face lit up and she almost jumped up out of her chair, but restrained herself.

"Your Majesty," the chamberlain said in a strong, clear voice, "may I present the Light Warriors, newly returned to fair Cornelia. Sir Cyrus, Dragon Knight of the Cardian Isles!" Cyrus bowed deeply, and the royal family was clearly impressed. "Master Sav'ran of Elfheim, Silent Blade; Lady Xoria of Lufenia, White Wizard; and Archmage Teraptus of Melmond."

The King and queen rose from their thrones. King Ren spoke, "Welcome back to Cornelia, Light Warriors! You have clearly seen much and traveled far in your quest. For all you have done for this kingdom and this family, I invite you to stay in the guest quarters here in the palace."

"We shall hold a banquet tonight in your honor," Queen Jayne said. "I will inform the royal cooks immediately. Perhaps you can share with us some of your exploits? We would all love to hear some of them."

"We would be honored, your Majesty," Cyrus said, and all four Light Warriors bowed.

"If I may escort you to you rooms, then?" the chamberlain said, and led them from the throne room. Servants had hurried ahead to prepare the rooms and were still doing so, so the Light Warriors waited in one of the lounges not far from the rooms. Sav'ran nestled into his favorite couch immediately, and Teraptus sat in one of the large armchairs, remembering how he had once cuddled up in it, engrossed in books from the royal library. It wasn't more than a few minutes before they had some visitors.

Princess Sarah came in through the hallway with barely composed royal demeanor, obviously excited to see Cyrus. Behind her, Xion walked at a stately pace, a warm smile on his face when he saw Xoria. Xoria, for her part, returned the smile when she saw her foster father and mentor, for she had much to tell him, some of which she knew he would not like, but she knew also that he would believe her.

"Good afternoon, princess," Cyrus said.

"Drop the formality Cyrus, it's me, Sarah. Oh, wow, look at you! You look great!"

Cyrus smiled shyly. "You….uh, you, too, Sarah. You look a little different than I remember."

Sarah smiled. "Well, it's been almost a year, now. And talk about different! You look older, more mature. And a knight! How did that happen?"

"That story can wait for dinner, I think," Sav'ran said. "Your parents and the rest of the court are gonna want to hear it, too."

Sarah pouted a bit, but then brightened. "So, are you home for good, now? Is the world safe, or is this just a short visit?"

Cyrus' smile became a little sad. "Just a short visit, I'm afraid. The hardest and most dangerous part of our mission lies ahead of us. I just wanted to come see you again. I still have your lute, if you want it back."

Sarah shook her head. "No, Cyrus, you're going to give it back to me when you return to me for good."

Cyrus sighed, his thoughts heavy. "Sarah…where we're going, what we're about to do…it's very dangerous. I may not have the chance."

"Don't say that!" Sarah said, her voice tight. "Don't you say things like that! You'll just have to make it back, because I won't let you give it to me now, how's that?"

Cyrus smiled, and before he could respond, a messenger came to notify Sarah that her mother wanted to see her.

She left, obviously unhappy with Cyrus' words.

* * *

At the banquet, the Light Warriors gave a condensed version of their tale to the court. They glossed over a lot of the elements that were not important to the main points. They told everyone what the prophecy, and the crystals, were truly about, each of them revealing their crystal to the court. They left out all mention of Vincentio, and the true origin of the worship of Ysgard, which was a popular faith in Cornelia. They discussed all four Shrines, as well as the encounters with Bahamut, and their subsequent Recognition by him. The mention of the treaties of the Kingdoms of Men and Dragons sent more than one royal scholar dashing to the library and archives to find what they could. They returned before the full tale was told to confirm that Cornelia was, in fact, part of those treaties, meaning that Cyrus' noble title was recognized by the Cornelian crown. And furthermore, that Cyrus, as one who had fulfilled the agreement with the Kingdom of Dragons, was entitled to a grant of land in his home Kingdom, by virtue of the fact that it was impractical for him to have his land granted in the Cardian Isles.

They brought their tale full circle to the restoration of all the Shrines, and then at last revealed that their final destination was the Temple of Fiends. This sparked some whispers among the court, and Xoria stepped forward and revealed, to those who knew the stories of Ysgard, that the evil that they went to face and destroy, was the same Great Evil, that the founders of Ysgard had quested for, but had failed.

After the banquet there was some socializing, mostly nobles who wanted to talk more with the Light Warriors, and more than one who wanted to flirt with them. Xoria and Teraptus made their commitment clear, and they were left alone. Cyrus had no formal claim on him, although Sarah stayed close to him for most of the night. His mother, too, was glad to see him and spent a lot of time with him. As the night drew on, the guests departed and the Light Warriors retired to bed.

* * *

The next day they were again called into King Ren's throne room. The king officially granted Cyrus his grant of land, which was located very close to Cornelia, and included some lush farmland and forested areas which were good for hunting. Cyrus declined the offer for royal architects to start designing a manor for him just yet, as he and his mother still owned Garland's former residence within the city. After the formal audience, the king asked them to join him in his study.

"Cyrus, do you know why I asked you and your companions here?" the king asked.

"No, your Majesty," he replied.

"As you know, I have only two daughters, and no male heir to my throne. Which means that whomever my eldest daughter, Sarah, marries will, in turn, inherit the throne to the kingdom. In the past six months, I have arranged for numerous suitors for her, all of whom she has turned away, citing one reason or another. Do you see where I am going with this?"

Cyrus looked nervous and somewhat bashful. "I believe so, your Majesty. Should…should Sarah be here for this?"

King Ren grunted. "My daughter has already brought this up to me. My wife told me about how you and her got along before her kidnapping, and now that you are a proper knight, she wasted no time in approaching me and indicating her preference that I arrange a formal engagement for her to you."

Cyrus looked astonished. "Formal engagement?"

"Yes, son. She's a princess, and her marriage is a matter of state and politics. Unlike you two," he indicated Xoria and Teraptus, "Sarah does not have the freedom to marry simply for love, whoever she chooses. However, she seems to have very strong feelings for you, and as much as I need her to marry well for the sake of the kingdom, I would love nothing more than to see my daughter happy. I see both in you, Cyrus. You are an upstanding young man, always have been. You have distinguished yourself very well, not only in your skill with the sword, but in your impeccable moral character. The only obstacle between you and Sarah before was her station and that is no longer an issue. What do you say, Sir Cyrus? Will you accept my daughter's hand in marriage?"

Cyrus looked stunned. This was a lot to accept all at once. He cared for Sarah, deeply so, but had never really thought about what being with her had meant. While he had looked forward to marrying her when he returned to Cornelia a hero, he had not accepted the implication that it would put him on the throne.

"I think he's speechless, your Majesty," Xoria said with an impish smile.

"I would love to accept, your Majesty," Cyrus said. "But I feel strange making this kind of decision without Sarah being here."

"I told you, Cyrus, this was her idea. I can send for her now, if you like."

"One more thing, your Majesty. What we're about to do is very dangerous. I don't know if we'll all be coming back, and I don't want to leave Sarah hanging, waiting for me."

The king nodded. "I understand, Cyrus, and I wouldn't be as proud of you if you didn't step forward and say that, but if I don't make some kind of proclamation before you leave, Sarah won't give me a moment's peace, and I have my own sanity to consider, now don't I?" King Ren was smiling.

Cyrus smiled as well. "Then I accept, your Majesty."

* * *

They stayed in Cornelia for one more day while the official proceedings were carried out. Sarah and Cyrus were formally engaged, and Sarah had a victorious, self-satisfied smile on her face.

She was not happy to see Cyrus go, however, as his worries now started to affect her. Perhaps she had thought once they were engaged she could convince him to abandon his quest. Even her father was stern with her on this matter, and the Light Warriors left the city to fanfare and celebration, as they continued on their journey.

* * *

They boarded the airship in silence. In silence they traveled the short distance to the Temple of Fiends, and in silence they disembarked. The Temple of Fiends had not changed since they visited last. Most of it was a ruin, and only the stairs down into the basement level were accessible. They descended the stairs and proceeded first into the room where they had confronted Garland. To their surprise, they were not alone.

There had been bats in the room during their last visit, but they had paid them no mind. Now, five bats, large specimens at that, were perched on the tables throughout the room and were sitting up and staring right at the Light Warriors when they entered. To everyone's surprise, the bats began to speak.

"It's them! It's the crystal-bearers!"

The Light Warriors were taken aback. Cyrus found his voice first. "Who…or what, are you?"

"We are sky people. We came here after tracing the root of the world's ruin to this place. That was 400 years ago."

"The Five!" Xoria gasped. "The warriors sent to fight the Great Evil!"

Another bat spoke, "Ah! The crystal's radiance has restored my speech! Chaos cast a curse on us, turning us into bats."

"You've been alive for over 400 years?" Sav'ran asked, incredulous.

A third bat piped up. "The four fiends of Chaos were stealing the crystals' light and sending its power to the past. Someone 2000 years in the past is absorbing that power. He is our true foe. And whoever he is, his power sustains us as well, as our punishment."

"How do we face him?" Teraptus asked.

"Let the light of the four crystals shine upon the black crystal in the center of the chamber. United, the four crystals will open a portal to the Temple of Chaos as it was 2000 years ago."

There was, indeed, a black crystal orb in the center of the chamber. It had been covered with a sheet of some kind the last time they had been here. Perhaps Garland had not known what it was, and not trusted the dark magic that seemed to swirl in its depths.

The Light Warriors approached the black orb. They each took their crystal pendant off. They each laid their crystals onto the black one. The effect was immediate. The swirling energy inside the orb expanded until there was a large, gate-like swirl of black energy.

The bats watched, anxiously. "May the Light of the crystals guide the Four, and restore the world." One of them said. "One step further, Light Warriors, and you will step back in time 2000 years! The greatest danger awaits you there, for Chaos plots to send the four Fiends forward in time. You must destroy them and him before he can do so, and undo the dark fate of the world!"

The Light Warriors stepped forward, and all five bats spoke in unison "May the Light of the crystals guide the Four, and restore the world."

They stepped into the portal.

* * *

The room they arrived in was different that the one they has entered the portal in. Even with the marked difference of 2000 years, they were definitely in a different part of the temple.

"No windows," Teraptus remarked "we may be closer to the center of the temple"

There was one door to the room they were now in. The Light Warriors made sure they were ready and passed through it. The massive hallways were empty, or seemingly so. Even though this temple was no longer a ruin, indeed, it appeared to be a new structure, the entire place seemed abandoned. Every step seemed loud in their ears and none of them dared to speak, lest they attract something unseen from elsewhere in the temple.

Exploring the entire area, they found stairs leading up. The next floor up was once again eerily silent. And once again, they explored all of it in silence themselves. Sav'ran found that his nerves were on edge and any sudden noise would probably elicit a knee-jerk response from all of them that would likely result in the destruction of whatever startled them. Sav'ran hoped that whatever did so was a monster and not someone in need of help.

All they found on this floor was another staircase up. On this next floor, there was a palpable sense of wrongness. It was almost as if the floors, walls, even the very air itself was watching them, and hating them. They came to a door guarded over by two massive metal golems. Even though they were in sight, the golems made no attempt to engage them.

Cyrus looked to his companions. They all nodded, _ready_. Cyrus charged in at the golem on the right, which raised its enormous fist in response. Cyrus struck three blows on it before the fist came down. His shield absorbed much of the impact, but Cyrus still felt that strike.

"Bochoska Othrasan Legatorey Turelah!" Teraptus fired lightning at both golems.

Sav'ran appeared behind Cyrus' target and slashed with his blade. It cut through the golem's legs very deeply, but the titan did not fall. The other golem swung at him, but missed.

Xoria's hammer came flying through the air and struck the golem square in the chest. There was a crack of thunder and the golem's chest now bore a concave spot from the hammer strike. Cyrus quickly set upon it, and with a mighty blow, cleaved open the chest. The golem fell, lifeless.

Teraptus thought he heard some more sound behind him, but looked and saw nothing. Returning his attention to the battle, he leveled his staff at the remaining golem. The dragon on the tip of his staff glowed red, as did the floor beneath the golem's feet. A column of fire shot up, engulfing the golem briefly.

Sa'vran followed up with a few quick strikes, he scored hits, but failed to dodge out of the way of the creature's counterattack. The massive metal fist caught him in the side and he went down, then rolled out of the way to avoid being crushed.

Xoria, too, heard sounds behind them and dared to spare a look. THERE! Something was coming around the corner towards them. Two skeletal knights, mounted on skeletal steeds rounded the corner and noticed them, they immediately began to charge. Taking no chances, she attempted to take them out in one shot.

"Desaréna Incantumsúl Absolvasonata!" A bright, almost blinding light began to fill the hallway in front of her, as the undead knights charged directly into it. The light increased in intensity, and she could hear the burning undead tissue and then heard two loud rattles as of bones collapsing to the floor. When the light diminished, the undead knights had been destroyed.

Satisfied, she went to turn around back to her friends, but noticed more movement near the end of the hallway. A lot more.

"We may wanna hurry this up, guys!"

Cyrus had just delivered a skillful series of blows to the golem and parried or blocked all of its attacks. Sav'ran rejoined the fight with a leap to the wall, kicking off it and removing the golem's head. The body came crashing to the floor.

Now the rest of the Light Warriors turned and saw what had alarmed Xoria. Giant spiders, snakes, and a host of undead were at one end of the hallway, and coming towards them, fast.

"Get in the room!" Teraptus shouted. They all retreated through the door that the golems had been guarding and locked it with a heavy bar from the inside.

"That should hold them for now" Cyrus said.

"Guys, come look at this," Sav'ran called. They all moved towards the center of the room where a stone plate rested on the floor. There was a strange series of dots in some kind of pattern on the stone, like a code of some kind.

"It's evil" Xoria said. "I can feel it"

The door rattled as the monsters outside tried to break in.

"Unless we want to fight our way out through that," Teraptus said, indicating the door, "I think we should try and figure out what this stone is and what it does."

"And pray that it has something to do with getting us out of here," Sav'ran added.

"Xoria, you're pretty good with glyphs, what do you make of it?" Cyrus asked.

Xoria shook her head. "Glyphs, maybe. This is just some dots in some kind of pattern."

The door rattled violently, and it seemed as if one of the hinges creaked a little more.

"A puzzle, maybe?" Teraptus suggested.

Sav'ran ran his fingers along the dots, humming to himself.

"Can you not hum right now?" Xoria asked, still staring at the stone.

"It could be a key to the puzzle!" Sav'ran said defensively. "If it's a pattern, maybe it's some kind of beat-"

"Or music!" Cyrus exclaimed. He stared at the dots again. "Guys, I think it's music, and I think I can play it."

"I thought you only knew like, one song" Teraptus said, skeptical.

Cyrus grinned. "Hey now, I'm not that bad. But this pattern…these…notes, or whatever. It looks just like the first song Sarah ever taught me how to play."

The door shook again, and they could now see the monsters outside as a hole was punched through and grasping claws reached inside.

"Worth a shot!" Sav'ran said, drawing his blade nonetheless.

Cyrus removed the lute from his pack and unwrapped it from the small blanket that protected it from being jostled. He checked it for tune, and then looked down to read the dots again.

There was a loud sound from the door as one of the hinges came half off. Another hole was broken through the door and more grasping claws reached into the room.

"Out of time, Cyrus!" Teraptus said, his right hand beginning to frost over as an icy blue aura surrounded it. His staff, in his left hand, has tongues of flame licking up the dragon perched at the top. Xoria swung her hammer experimentally, lightning crackling in its wake.

Cyrus began to play. It was a song that they were all familiar with by now, because he played it often during their travels. As he played, the notes on the stone lit up as each chord was struck. And as the last note lit up, there was a grinding sound as the stone lifted up into the air to reveal a staircase down.

"Inside, hurry!" Sav'ran said and rushed down the darkened steps. Xoria and Teraptus were quick to follow. Cyrus went last, and as his notes faded, the door burst in completely. He ran down the stairs, and heard snarling behind him. Then there came a great crashing sound as the stone settled back into position, and an agonized howl as something was crushed under its weight.

They once again found themselves in a seemingly abandoned castle. This time, they wasted no time in sneaking around, inching forward and looking for monsters behind them, they knew it was only a matter of time before the denizens found a way to them. They found a staircase down in one of the corner turrets of the castle. Those stairs led them to a straight hallway with no branches or doors that led them the full length of the castle wall, around a corner and again the full length of the castle before coming to another corner turret, and another set of stairs down.

The floor they found themselves in was dark, and Xoria and Cyrus used light spells to guide the way. The air smelled stale, and Sav'ran was reminded of the first trip into the Swamp cave, or perhaps the Earth Shrine. The reminder became more poignant, however, when they also found this level to be not-quite as uninhabited.

A Pair of giants blocked their path. Like the ones they had encountered in the Earth Shrine so long ago, these humanoids were about 12 feet tall, and they wielded enormous clubs in one hand, and with their other hand, they held a leash restraining a six-foot long lizard. Unlike the ones in the Earth Shrine, these wasted no time on petty banter, upon seeing the Light Warriors, they released their pets who promptly charged them.

Cyrus drew his sword and charged forward. Charging between the lizards he spun and delivered swift, but powerful blows with Excalibur. He easily dispatched both lizards and was upon the giants before they could bring their clubs to bear on him. Unable to reach the giant's vital areas, his sword bit into the monster's skin.

Right behind Cyrus, Sav'ran had also been charging, with a small jump, he landed lightly, almost weightlessly on Cyrus' shoulder, and vaulted off him towards the giant. His blade sank deep into the giant's neck, and, as Sav'ran continued to vault over the creature's shoulder, his blade carved a deep wound from its neck in the front, all the way over its shoulder and down its back. The giant collapsed in a pool of blood. Sav didn't stop there, as he turned to the other giant and severed the tendons at the back of the other giant's knee. The giant sank to the ground on one knee.

Now at a closer level to the giant, Cyrus plunged his blade into the giant's chest, where the giant's hard, rocky skin provided no resistance to the enchanted blade. The second giant also sank to the ground, dead.

Xoria and Teraptus, who hadn't even begun to cast any spells, whistled in admiration. "I think what Sav and Ter said earlier may have even more merit than we thought. It took six of us much more effort in the past to defeat giants just like that."

"Yeah, that was pretty easy, I'm not even winded," Sav'ran said.

"Me neither," Cyrus added, "the 'mighty heroes' thing would appear to be the case."

"Nonetheless, we should not get overconfident," Teraptus added.

Everyone agreed and pressed on.

* * *

Their journey through this floor became even more like Déjà vu, as they encountered cockatrices, werewolves, and even a few vampires, all things they had previously encountered in the Earth Shrine. There were a few monsters that broke the mold, however, but still in the theme of "earth", such as golems formed from rock and clay, but these, too, provided no serious threat.

The winding corridors had no branches, no offshoots, only one direction in which to head. And the winding hallway ended, at last, at a door, marked with the upside down equilateral triangle symbolizing Earth.

"What do you suppose lies behind the door?" Xoria asked.

"Based on what we've seen so far, I almost wouldn't be surprised to find the Earth Fiend here" Teraptus answered.

"But we already destroyed him, didn't we?" Sav'ran asked.

"In our time, yes. We're two thousand years in the past, though. If the point that we've travelled back to is BEFORE this…Chaos…sent the Fiends forward in time…"

"Understood," Cyrus said, drawing his blade. The rest of them readied their weapons as well. Cyrus pushed open the door.

What lay beyond the door could be best described as some kind of study or laboratory. There were bookshelves on every wall, completely filled with books. The tables, however, each held on them some kind of corpse…or parts of corpses, in some cases. The lair that the lich had made, or would make, or the Earth Shrine seemed to be an attempt to re-create this place. There was a mirror on the wall, glowing brightly. In it, they could see the image of themselves, entering the room, as though from a different angle.

"So, the brave and bold intruders have made it this far…" came a familiar sounding voice. It was hollow and raspy at the same time.

Looking about, they noticed two points of light glowing from the shadows in the corner. The lich stepped forward, every bit as ghastly as they remembered.

"I have observed you since you first entered this castle, intruders, though I know not how you did. You have clumsily brushed aside the defenses of this place, but you will find that luck will not serve you here."

"It was more than luck that brought us here, Fiend" Teraptus countered, "and YOU will find that your underestimation of us will only hasten your departure from this world."

"Insolent worm," the lich sneered. "You die first. Regina Ukyo Bantoyl!"

Teraptus was prepared for the death spell, however, and shook it off to no effect.

"Ready Xoria?" he said, glancing back at her. She nodded. "Fithostratus Ignusioustan Rajakanulka Eklusulshi!" The bead of fire flew from his fingertips and impacted the lich in the chest. A great explosion followed, consuming the lich and many of his books and creations in the lab. When the flare subsided, the lich still stood, patting flames out of his robes.

"Perhaps more powerful than I thought." The lich said, and before it could cast another spell, Xoria stepped forward.

"Desaréna Incantumsúl Absolvasonata!" White light again filled the room and grew in intensity until it was unbearably bright. The lich screamed. A scream that was cut short. When the light subsided, there was nothing left of the lich but his tattered robes.

"Didn't explode," Sav'ran observed.

"What's that Sav?" Cyrus asked.

"He didn't explode like he did last time, or like any of the other Fiends did."

"Could have something to do with the Shrines," Teraptus postulated. "Or that they had been sent forward in time. Perhaps now he's destroyed for good."

"So…if he's dead now, before he was ever sent into our present. What about the corruption he caused in our time? Has it never happened?"

Teraptus thought about it. "I've got no answer for you Sav. To my knowledge, we're the first people to ever go back in time and alter history like this. There's no precendent."

"I guess we'll find out when we get back, then." Xoria said.

* * *

The passage from the Lich's chamber led them downward. And with each step, it grew hotter. Before long, they were in a series of halls that would be a match for Mt. Gulg in heat. Xoria cast her spell of fire protection, and it eased their discomfort somewhat.

Predictably, the entire floor was filled with chamber after chamber of fire-themed creatures. There were fire-spewing lizards, strange humanoids that seemed to be partially made of fire, and golems composed of molten lava. The winding halls had no branches, no forks, just one, unalterable path towards a stone door. The stone door was marked with the symbol of fire, and equilateral triangle, pointing up, with an extra line near the base.

"Hold it guys," Sav'ran said quietly. "I know everything's been almost too easy so far, but remember that the last time we fought the Fire Fiend, she wasn't at her full power.

Everyone nodded, and he opened the door.

The room was strange. The ceiling was high, looking almost too high to be in a basement level such as one they were in. There were a lot of columns, more than architecturally necessary. The room was a veritable forest of stone. All of them had their weapons drawn, and looked about warily.

There was no sound, no notice. Just a wave of fire that washed throughout the rooms and over all of them. Xoria's spell absorbed the worst of it, but there was no doubt had it not been there, they would all be on fire.

Just then, a large sword swung down from above. Years of training had Cyrus' reflexes honed to a razor edge, and that was all that kept his head connected to his body as he ducked and raised his shield.

Marilith was coiled around one of the columns above them. As Cyrus swung up at her, she parried with two of her blades while striking glancing blows on his armor with three more. She then leaped to another column, still above them, still out of reach.

"Irritating," Teraptus grumbled. Then, "Q'alar Uthra Aecris Keczar Evyz!"

The force of Teraptus' spell shook the entire room, and all the Light Warriors went down to their knees. The effect on the rest of the room, however, was devastating. The earthquake toppled most of the columns in the room, including the one that Marilith currently occupied.

Marilith drew herself up to her full height, over ten feet tall, with some tail still beneath her supporting her. In each hand, she held a wicked looking sword, and all of them looked ready to strike at any moment.

Sav'ran extended his left hand "Istraesol Centantrum Extolixia!" And great spears of ice formed and flew towards her, impaling her through the torso, after which, cold began to spread from the wounds. Marilith cried in pain, but before she could remove the shards, Sav'ran was already upon her, and deftly sliced off two of her hands.

She struck back viciously, but Cyrus intercepted the blows meant for his friend square on his shield. He then followed up with two heavy slashes that cut deep wounds in her neck and chest.

She turned and fled, attempting to reach the back of the room where she could once again have the advantage of the pillars. Xoria's hammer came flying and hit her square in the back of the head with a blast of lightning and the crash of thunder as it connected.

Before the hammer was even back in Xoria's hand, Sav'ran repeated the spell, but this time, was more focused on his target. Marilith, still stunned from the hammer blow, froze and convulsed, falling to the ground and flopping like a fish out of water. Her red skin was turning purple in places, and ice crystals began bursting through her skin. As she opened her mouth as if to scream, a great ice crystal, seeming to fill her entire mouth, protruded from her open mouth, blocking it open.

She stopped convulsing. The Light Warriors warily approached her, and, agreeing that it was better to be safe than sorry, they severed her head.

* * *

In a pattern that was in no way a surprise now, the stairs down to the next level were flooded more than halfway down. Consuming a swig of Oxyale each, they proceeded into the depths.

Sea trolls, sea scorpions, sahagin and sharks, all of them inhabited the underwater level of the temple. And all of them fell before the Light Warriors. However, the monsters were getting significantly tougher, and they were dipping deeper and deeper into their potion supply.

Like the two levels above, the underwater level had no side corridors, no offshoots, only one, winding path. The encounters with monsters were often short and brutal, since the Light Warriors had so much notice. To conserve resources, they relied extensively on the lightning gauntlet.

It surprised none of them when they encountered the door with the symbol of Water on it. The equilateral triangle, point down, with an extra line at the base. Xoria cast her lightning-protection spell on all of them and they entered.

Unlike the Water Shrine, this room seemed like it was designed to accommodate a creature of Kraken's size. The chamber was vast, with a vaulted ceiling, thirty feet or more above them. Kraken himself was floating near the ceiling.

"Visitors?" Kraken said in his deep, menacing voice. "No...Intruders..." His baleful red eyes flashed with what may have been anger. "No matter, you die now" And with no further discourse or flinch of his tentacles, it attacked.

The Light Warriors, however, had Kraken at a distinct advantage. They knew what they'd be facing, they knew its tactics in advance, and they were well-prepared. Sav'ran had gone into hiding, blending in with his surroundings even before they had opened the door. By the time Kraken launched its tentacles towards them, Xoria's hammer was already spinning through the "air". Cyrus swiftly hacked off several feet of three tentacles in swift succession as they neared him. Almost simultaneously, Xoria's hammer connected with Kraken's core with a burst of lightning and crash of thunder, and Sav'ran launched himself off the wall and thrust his sword deep into Kraken's bulbous eye.

Kraken roared in pain and opened its lamprey-like mouth. Teraptus was waiting for that. As soon as Sav'ran neared Kraken's eye, he began his spell. "Istraesolian Centantrumien Extolixianas!" The blue waves of energy struck Kraken directly in its open mouth, stopping the blast of ink before it could blind them all. The gaping mouth of the beast was instantly filled with an enormous block of ice. The ice continued to fill its elongated body, and shards of ice began to pierce the skin of its long, tube-shaped head. A muffled scream of outrage reverberated throughout the chamber.

Kraken began thrashing back and forth, attempting to chew through the ice, or perhaps just writhing in agony. Cyrus, however, still charging Kraken, leaped/swam up and drove Excalibur into the beast's head. The blade drove in deep through flesh and the ice inside, piercing deep into Kraken's brain. With a choking gurgle, its eyes went blank. The beast's lifeless body went limp, and floated towards the ceiling.

They exited the room and found that the staircases down were longer than any of the other staircases. There was a short landing and a small series of stairs leading up and out of the water, and they were once again breathing normal air.

* * *

The level they found themselves on was strangely silent. The only creatures they encountered were strange, sentient-and menacing-elementals. Beings composed of air and wind. Cyrus and Sav'ran were surprised that their weapons had any effect at all on the seemingly-insubstantial foes, but they did.

"No robots or undead yet" Sav'ran noted after the third such encounter.

"Well, those were unique to the Air Shrine itself, weren't they?" Teraptus offered.

"I suppose"

A roar from up ahead ended that conversation, and three leonine beasts with great bat-like wings rounded the corner ahead. Cyrus jumped ahead of the others and raised his shield to protect them as the creatures flipped their tails over their heads and launched a volley of spikes at them. His shield took all of the hits. Then Teraptus leveled his staff and Xoria held forth the gauntlet.

"Infierna!"

"Aegis!"

Fire and lightning struck the monsters, leaving three charred, blackened corpses in their wake.

"Well, Sav, there's your change of pace" Cyrus remarked. Sav'ran rolled his eyes but said nothing. Then, he cocked his head and looked more closely at the wall near the monsters.

"There's something here..." he said.

The others looked up at him strangely. He began examining the wall closely, as if searching for something, his hands roaming all over the surface of the wall. After a few minutes of silence, Teraptus began to speak.

"Sav, are you sure-"

"Got it!" Sav'ran said, and pushed on one of the stones of the wall. There was a grinding sound, and a section of the wall slid aside to reveal another chamber.

The Light Warriors entered this darkened hallway, and rounded a corner, soon finding themselves in another room, devoid of all furnishings, except for one ornate, gilded chest in the center of the small room. As they entered the wall, a strange light seemed to come from the chest. The light coalesced into the shape of an armored figure. The armor the figure wore was strange, appearing lacquered or enameled, even though the figure was all one pale blue-white color.

"Who seeks The Blade?" The figure intoned.

The Light Warriors looked at each other, confused.

"What blade?" Cyrus asked. "We weren't looking for-"

"The Blade is not to be taken lightly!" The figure boomed. "The power it bestows should not be used frivolously or selfishly!"

"Whoah there," Sav'ran said. "We've come here to destroy Chaos and prevent the corruption of our world."

The figure seemed to mull that over for a moment and nodded. "A worthy cause. The blade is yours, but use it wisely. Masamune is the mightiest of all swords. The Good or Evil that could be wrought with it are great indeed." And with that, the spirit faded away.

Cyrus' eyes widened in wonder. "Masamune? Isn't that...?"

"The sword Smythe spoke of" Teraptus finished. Extremely excited, he went to the chest and opened it, withdrawing a magnificent sword in its sheathe. The handle was ivory and onyx. The cross guard was shining platinum. The sheathe was pure ivory, and engraved with a bas-relief scene of armies clashing in battle. He pulled the blade from it. It was a single-edged, curved blade. The blade itself was untarnished, bright, and obviously razor-sharp.

Teraptus whistled in amazement. "Amazing! I...I can feel exactly how to use this blade! Cyrus, attack me!"

Cyrus shook his head. "No way, I don't want to hurt you."

Teraptus grinned. "You won't. Just do it. Think of it as sparring."

Cyrus sighed and drew Excalibur. The two of them circled slowly, making short, quick feints at one another. Then Cyrus stepped in quickly, swinging his blade in strikes so fast they were almost whiplike. There were several clashes of steel on steel, as Teraptus blocked every strike, and then, with almost blinding speed, Teraptus disarmed Cyrus and sent his sword skittering across the floor.

There was stunned silence. Even Teraptus' eyes were wide. He sheathed the blade as Cyrus recovered his own.

"I think this blade in your hands would be pretty amazing, Cyrus" Teraptus said quietly.

Cyrus shook his head. "Excalibur is more my style of sword. I'm not a big fan of single-edged, curved blades. But Sav'ran, on the other hand..." He looked at his green-clad friend.

Sav'ran's eyes widened. Teraptus held the sword out to him, and he took it. When he put his hand on the hilt, he immediately felt the knowledge and skill in his mind and body, as if he had absorbed the fighting techniques of the world's greatest sword masters in seconds.

"There's no other way out of this room" Xoria announced. "Guess it's back to the main passage, then".

They returned to the main passage, and found the remainder of the level free of enemies. Before long, they found themselves before the door with the equilateral triangle on it symbolizing Wind.

Xoria cast spells on all of them to protect from fire, ice, lightning, and her armor spell. Teraptus, meanwhile, cast his speed spell on Cyrus and Sav'ran. Then they entered the chamber.

As soon as the door closed, they were all struck with a blast of pure force and energy. This Tiamat, it seemed, was not about to waste time on banter.

Injured, but not crippled, the Light Warriors sprang into action. The room had a high ceiling, but not so high that Tiamat could take wing. Cyrus crossed the room in mere seconds and delivered powerful, deep strikes to Tiamat's scaly belly.

Sav'ran seemed to be running up the walls. He launched himself from the wall, and neatly severed one of Tiamat's heads in one stroke, landing on her back afterwards. The great dragon roared and threw him from her back violently. Sav'ran landed on his feet, but the impact was still hard.

Not wanting to give the dragon a even a moment to recuperate, Xoria unleashed the same devastating spell with which she had finished the Wind Fiend the first time. "Haleos Ossuam Lumyna Ythorae!" The ten spheres of pure energy surrounded Tiamat. And, like her counterpart in the Wind Shrine, she seemed unable to touch them. The spheres circles her, then shot up into the ceiling, and came down in powerful beams of pure holy energy tat ripped through the dragon, leaving her badly burned, with two more of her heads seemingly unconscious or dead.

"Now!" Teraptus called out, and Cyrus and Sav'ran immediately began running back to the door they had entered through. Xoria, as well, was backing away. Teraptus had once again been gathering his strength, and once again, unleashed the full fury of his power.

"Nathoria Ultima Krasus Extinkosha!"

The power that focused in Tiamat's chest was killing her, and she seemed to droop almost before it was complete. When the green, black, and indigo flames erupted from her body, they sent a sizable chunk of her chest cavity with them, and Teraptus found himself surrounded by gore, his own body only untouched because the arcane flames which surrounded him during the spell had immediately incinerated all pieces of flesh which might have touched him.

The other three came back into the room.

"Gross, Ter," Sav'ran said, but he was smiling.

* * *

They completely exhausted their potion supply before entering the next door, not knowing what to expect.

The level they were now on was one vast room, stretching the entire length of the castle, save for one room, seemingly completely enclosed, in the center. The center room seemed not very large, compared to the rest of it. Perhaps 50 feet square. There was only one door, and it was closed, but a soft blue light came from beyond, barely visible around the doorframe.

Weapons ready, they opened the door.

The room was empty, save for a large black crystal orb, an exact copy of the one they had used to travel here in their own time. And standing before the orb, with its back to them was a humanoid figure in full armor. From the figure's back draped a tattered cape. It was blue, and bore the white dove symbol of Cornelia. From beneath the helmet, long strands of pale blond hair cascaded over the figure's shoulders. The helmet itself was distinctive, even from behind. Two long, thin curved horns swept forward from above the brow of the the helmet. Cyrus gasped.

"Well," the figure said in a soft, deep voice, "don't you all look familiar?" The figure turned to face them. His helmet was open in the front, and he was unmistakeably human. With deep, blue eyes and an emotionless face. "Don't remember me? It's Garland."

"I remember," Cyrus said, in a voice choked with emotion.

Garland smiled, but it was a smile devoid of happiness. "Two thousand years into the future...you killed me."

The Light Warriors looked to Cyrus, suddenly worried for their friend. Cyrus, for his part, seemed gripped with fear.

"How...is this even possible?" Teraptus asked.

Xoria shook her head. "It shouldn't be...there's no way he could have..."

"But the Four Great Forces sent me back in time," Garland continued, "thus resurrecting me in the past". He turned his back to them and raised his arms before the orb, which began to crackle with dark energy. "The Wheel of Time revolves eternally. It was I who sent the four Fiends of Chaos into the future...and they shall once again send my future self into the past!"

He spun around to face them again, his eyes alight with madness. "Two thousand years from now, I shall lose all memory of the past!" His face was not split with an evil grin.

The energy from the orb suddenly blasted forth, and reality seemed to warp around them. The small, empty room was no more. They were surrounded by swirling stars as if they had been transported into the night sky. They still felt firm ground beneath their feet, however.

The effect of the energy on Garland, however, was much more drastic. His armor turned a sickly shade of yellow as he began to swell into immensity. The horns on his helmet grew and twisted, becoming gnarled and wicked-looking. His face became that same shade, and became monstrous, until he no longer resembled Garland at all. The monster was at least 10 feet tall, and the armor appeared to be part of some kind of demonic carapace. Its head was horned, there was no doubt that it was the monster's horns and not a helmet. Its face was filled with malice, it mouth horribly fanged. Each of its hands ended in terrible claws, and its feet looked cloven with sharp talons.

"Khayoss..." Xoria said in a small voice, half-filled with awe, half-terrified.

Chaos continued, his voice now gravelly and terrible, and filled with hate. "But in that past I will be reborn yet again! Your lives shall end, here. And mine...mine will continue forever!" And he began laughing in a deep, demonic voice.

Cyrus tightened his grip on Excalibur. "Not so, monster!" The other Light Warriors looked at him in surprise. "Your reign of terror ends here. In the name of Bahamut and all the souls of this world, and for the honor of my father, Garland, we will wipe the stain of your filth clean from this and every world!"

Chaos' eyes gleamed. Then, without warning, a wave of intense flame swept outward from him, engulfing the Light Warriors.

None of them could escape it completely, but they recovered quickly. Cyrus and Sav'ran dashed forward, blades at the ready. Confident in his invincibility, Chaos roared in pain and surprise as Excalibur and Masamune bit deep into his armored carapace.

"Protega Regulo Ordona Tarkana!" Xoria cried, encasing all of her friends in the protective spell. Just in time, as Chaos came down on Sav'ran with his huge claws.

Teraptus took a breath and focused his power. "Istraesolian Centantrumien Extolixianas!" Blue energy streaked towards Chaos, and as it impacted him, bursts of ice appeared all around him, completely encasing him for only a brief moment before the ice shattered. Whether or not he was harmed was uncertain.

Cyrus blocked another claw from Chaos with his shield, and then drove his blade deep into his leg. When he roared and swung at Cyrus with his other claw, Sav'ran was quick to thrust his sword into the unarmored gap under Chaos' arm, and was rewarded with a spray of black blood.

Xoria was quick to recover from her first spell, and went on the offensive with her second. "Haleos Ossuam Lumyna Ythorae!" As before, the white spheres surrounded her target before flying upwards and streaking down to strike him, Chaos flinched with each bolt, evidence of its effect on him.

Almost as soon as the bolts of light finished striking him, Chaos was suddenly encased in a cage of purple lightning. He flung his arms apart, and a sudden storm of lightning and wind struck all the Light Warriors, throwing Cyrus and Sav'ran back, and sending painful electricity coursing through their bodies.

Teraptus was slow to come to his feet, and his mouth was filled with his own blood. He spat it out and began channeling his energies for his most powerful spell.

Cyrus came to his feet and prepared to charge, but was stopped by Sav'ran, who jerked his head toward Teraptus. Instead, Sav'ran cast his own spell, the latest he had learned. "Hathran Actina Sorchak Tentia Ewulvia!" Cyrus felt immediately faster, and knew just how to use his time until Terasptus was done.

"Halinos Ethran Aesthta Loriat!" Xoria cried, sending a wave of healing magic over all of them. Cyrus' own wounds were more significant than her spell could cover, and he cast his own healing spell.

"Cantosiol Ulinovska Reythator Extatium!" Feeling much better, he prepared himself to charge Chaos as soon as Teraptus' spell was finished.

"Nathoria Ultima Krasus Extinkosha!" Teraptus cried, his eyes and hands ablaze with power. The explosion of indigo and green flames nearly floored all of them again, as they had no cover from the blast.

Chaos seemed unharmed by the spell, and laughed derisively. Cyrus, however, was already upon him. He delivered overhand blows against Chaos, attempting to do more damage to his core, which was much higher than Cyrus could easily reach. Chaos swatted at him, and then quickly slashed at Sav'ran, who was attempting to sneak up from behind. As he turned towards Cyrus and the others, his eyes glowed red again.

"Nulreigh Fithos Ignus Raja Eklus!" Xoria cast her spell quickly, almost stumbling over the words. Her spell took effect just in time, as another wave of flame swept over them. They all still felt it, and Teraptus, still weakened from casting his previous spell, would likely have been burned terribly had Xoria's protection not been in place.

Cyrus and Sav'ran continued to harass Chaos with their blades, as Teraptus struggled to his feet. "Aegis!" he cried, and extended his gauntleted hand. Bolts of lightning struck forth at Chaos, and this time, left noticeable scorch marks on his hide.

"Halinos Ethran Aesthta Loriat!" Xoria cast again, exhaustion in her voice.

They all felt her healing magic wash over them, but only Teraptus noticed her collapse afterward. Sav;ran backed away from melee only long enough to cast the speed-enhancing spell on himself.

Teraptus crawled over to Xoria, intent on protecting her with his own body, if it came to it. She was pale, but still breathing. Her eyes fluttered a bit, as if struggling with consciousness.

Satisfied that she was safe for now, Teraptus turned back to Chaos, who was now bleeding black blood from his right leg, left armpit, and an impressive wound now decorating his abdomen.

"Cyrus! Lightning-protection! Now!"

Cyrus nodded, and gritted his teeth at the diffculty of casting a spell he had just learned while still defending himself. "Nulreigh Bocho Othra Legato Turel!" A yellow glow swept over all of them. At that same moment, Chaos, not one to waste oportunities, fell upon Cyrus with both claws, knocking the warrior to the ground. While his armor and Xoria's spell prevented the claws from penetrating, he was keenly aware of the titanic strength in those blows, and was certain he felt at least some of his ribs break.

"Bochoskatas Othrasantos Legatoreysin Turelahanya!" Teraptus cried, and everything in front of him became a field of lightning, which traveled to, and connected with, Chaos. As it did, Chaos was encased in a cage of dancing lightning bolts, which scored his limbs so badly he retracted them as much as possible. It paid off little, however, as the greatest, widest bolt struck the center of the cage. He roared in agony and coughed up a significant amount of blood and bile.

Xoria had recovered enough to raise her head. She took a deep breath and extended her right hand. She could see her Wizard Mark blazing white underneath her mithril bracer. "Haleos Ossuam Lumyna Ythorae!" The brilliant spheres once again did their work, and Chaos was stunned, reeling from the holy power. His carapace had huge rents in it from the combination of Teraptus' and Xoria's spells, and each of these gaping holes oozed thick black blood profusely. He staggered.

Cyrus had dragged himself to his feet and discarded his shield. As Chaos staggered, he brought his head lower. Abandoning his own defenses, Cyrus let loose a fierce cry as he brought Excalibur to bear two-handed. The mighty blade struck Chaos in the very center of his forehead and sank in deep. Cyrus was sprayed in black blood, as well as a burst of fire and lightning that sent him flying ten feet back to land on his back forcefully. Had Excalibur been any less keen a blade, it would have been wrenched from his hands.

There was a moment of silence. Sav'ran started to back away slowly.

"N-n-nooo...!" Chaos cried, and there seemed to be some distortion in his voice. His chest caved in somewhat, as if it were an empty shell. A circle of blazing light, no less than a hole in reality, opened at his feet. He began to sink into it. Desperately, he attempted to grab Sav'ran, as if to take him into oblivion with him.

Sav'ran nimbly jumped backwards, but it was all he could do not to be pulled towards that terrible hole himself. Cyrus felt himself sliding towards the hole as well, but flipped onto hims stomach and thrust his sword into the floor, which still resembled empty space. Xoria and Teraptus clung to each other, Teraptus' staff extended as if to provide some friction against the suction force of that tear in space.

As Chaos sank completely out of sight, the hole seemed to collapse after him. At the moment it closed, though, there was another blast of light and a deafening cracking sound. The great black crystal orb, which had seemed to disappear with the rest of the room before, was once again behind where Chaos had been, and a great fracture had appeared on its surface. From within that crack, a light glowed, which quickly shattered the remains of the orb and created another portal of light. This time, the pull of this portal was stronger, and Xoria, still weak from her spellcasting, lost her grip on Teraptus and was sucked into that blazing void in the space of a heartbeat.

"Xoria!" Teraptus screamed, his voice a combination of terror and loss. He stared into that void for only a moment before ceasing all struggling and allowing himself to be pulled in after her. Cyrus was dimly aware of his shield flying into the void with him.

Cyrus and Sav'ran looked at each other, both struggling, but both being slowly dragged towards that same blazing fate. Sav'ran grinned suddenly at his friend, and leaped to his feet, facing the portal. He leaped and dove headfirst into the white expanse. Cyrus panicked, not knowing what to do. Unbidden, words came to his mind from memory. Sav'ran jumping into another unknown and saying "a timid heart brings only a dull life". Cyrus smiled to himself, and pulled his sword up and faced the portal. He was pulled forward, but did not resist it. He closed his eyes and cast his lot with fate.

* * *

Warm sunlight and chirping birds. That was the first thing he was aware of. Then the tickle of grass on his face as it bent before the wind. Cyrus opened his eyes to find himself in a sun-drenched glade. He went to push himself up, and nearly collapsed in pain. His ribs were still injured from the fight with Chaos. He struggled through the pain to pull himself to a sitting position. His friends were also just now waking up and sitting up. All of them were similarly battered.

They looked around and quickly identified the edifice behind them as the ruined Temple of Fiends. The Light Warriors looked at each other, bewildered. Painstakingly, they gathered themselves up, Cyrus was pleased to note his shield was with them and intact. Between Cyrus and Xoria, they had enough healing magic to completely restore all of them. Cyrus' side still hurt, but he no longer feared anything was broken.

"So...what now?" Sav'ran asked.

Teraptus looked up at the sky. "Beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Maybe we undid all the corruption of the Fiends".

Xoria smiled at him and took his hand. "Let's go to Cornelia and find out."

Sav'ran looked around. "Where's the airship?"

Xoria frowned and concentrated, focusing on her circlet. Her eyes shot open. "I...I don't know!"

"Guess we walk, then." Cyrus said, and headed southeast. "We should be able to make it by sunset"

It took less time than that, as the forest was much easier to travel through. And no monsters interfered with them or tried to attack them in any way. It was late afternoon when they arrived in Cornelia. Trumpets sounding from the walls signaled that their approach had been noticed by the guards.

A squad of soldiers was sent out to greet them. The lead rider was the same captain who had greeted them when they returned with Princess Sarah.

"Greetings Light Warriors!" the captain said. "We're here to escort you to the palace." They had brought four riderless horses with them, and they mounted and allowed themselves to be escorted into the city.

"Fine new accouterments, Cyrus" the captain said with a grin. "Seems like you did well for yourself."

Cyrus smiled. "It's a bit of a long story," he said.

"Well, no doubt Lord Garland will be proud. And pleased."

Cyrus gaped at him. "Garland?" he asked, bewildered.

The captain looked at him quizzically. "Yes. Lord Garland. The king's seneschal. Your adopted father."

Cyrus looked around at his friends, who were just as puzzled as he. "Seneschal? I thought Garland was disgraced? After the Pravocian War...and that business with the princess?"

"What are you talking about?" the captain said, looking puzzled himself. "His peaceful end to the Pravocian War is what earned him his place as the king's most trusted advisor. And what's this about the princess?"

Cyrus looked to Teraptus, who just shrugged and mouthed "Go with it"

They were escorted into the palace, and were asked to wait a moment outside the throne room. When the door opened, none of them were prepared for the blue-robed figure who came out.

Garland looked almost out of place without armor on. But his broad shoulders suggested a man who still carried a lot of physical power. He carried the ornate staff that was his badge of office, and his face split into a huge smile when he saw them.

"Cyrus, my boy!" he exclaimed, and pulled the startled young man into a hug. "Look at you! A Knight of the Cardian Isles! The king will be most pleased." His eyes grew sly. "I'm betting Princess Sarah will be too."

Cyrus was obviously very uncomfortable. "Garland, what's going on?"

"'Garland', huh? What's gotten into you boy? You've called me 'Father' since your mother and I's wedding 5 years ago. She's here, by the way. I sent for her as soon as I got word you'd been sighted coming home."

Cyrus was at a complete loss of words, so Xoria stepped in. "Thank you, My Lord, may we enter yet?"

Garland smiled at her. "Just another few moments, I'll go make sure everything is ready." He turned and entered the double doors to the throne room.

Cyrus turned on her. "What is going on?"

It was Teraptus who answered. "If I had to guess, I'd say that destroying Chaos and his Fiends in the past prevented them from ever spreading their corruption in the present. And everything that stemmed from that corruption has now been undone."

"So the Shrines are still intact?" Sav'ran said.

Teraptus shrugged. "Probably. But it seems that we're the only ones who remember the previous time line. Bahamut might, and maybe some of the sages."

"That explains the lack of Airship," Xoria said. "It's probably still docked at a functional Air Shrine."

The double doors opened then, and the Light Warriors entered the throne room to a chorus of cheers. King Ren was there, and Garland. Princess Sarah looked radiant, and she positively beamed at Cyrus. Lukhin stood to one side of the throne, smiling mysteriously, as the Light Warriors were formally welcomed home.


	8. Epilogue

The _Dragon's Grace_ pulled into port in Cornelia's harbor. When all the mooring lines were set, the first mate turned to the captain, still at the helm.

"All moored, sir," she said.

The captain looked at her, still captivated by her beauty. He smiled, his grin somewhat hidden by the short brown mustache and goatee that adorned his face. He swept his elaborate hat off his head as he approached her.

"I trust you can supervise unloading the cargo. I've got business at the palace."

"Aye, aye, sir", her eyes, as always, sparkled with hidden mirth.

"Good," he said, pulling her in for a quick kiss and then swatting her playfully on the behind as he skipped out of the way of her own return swat.

She shook her head in frustration, her blue-green hair swirling around her head. "I'll get you for that," she threatened.

The captain laughed as he leaped from the hawser to the pier. He wasted no time and journeyed quickly to the palace. The guards recognized him and opened doors for him immediately. The king's seneschal, now an elderly man, but still powerfully built, met him outside the throne room.

The captain grinned. "You're looking well, Lord Garland".

Garland smiled. "I may be getting old, but I can still teach this new batch of guards a few things."

"Does His Majesty know I'm here?"

Garland continued to smile. "Not yet. I made sure no one told him. Go on in." And he opened the doors.

The doors opened, and the king, a man in his late twenties, and now sporting a full beard looked up to behold the sea captain who had just strolled into his throne room.

"Sav!" he exclaimed, and jumped up from the throne and ran to embrace his friend.

The two shared a rough embrace, and then King Cyrus led his old friend out of the throne room to the royal apartments. "I'm going to go catch up with Sav'ran" he called to his very pregnant queen, who still sat on her throne.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, dear. I'll just finish up this trade negotiation, shall I?" She indicated the Crescent Lake trade ambassador, who looked mightily offended at being brushed aside by the king.

* * *

"So, what's new in the world? I haven't seen you in over a year." Cyrus asked as he settled into a comfortable chair.

"Well," Sav'ran said, stroking his goatee as he thought, "I just heard from Teraptus and Xoria."

Cyrus laughed. "Great. How are they? I've hardly seen them since the wedding."

Sav'ran smiled. "They're good. Xoria's expecting their first child soon. Hasn't stopped them from gallivanting all over the world in that flying boat of theirs."

"I'll have to get them a nice gift."

"Speaking of children...you and Sarah are having ANOTHER one? What is that, five?"

"Be nice, Sav. It's our third."

"I might be nicer if I wasn't expected to produce a royal gift every time you guys have one."

Cyrus laughed again. "Any other news?"

Sav'ran became serious. "Yes, actually. I was in Crescent Lake a few months ago. Guess who I saw there?"

Cyrus looked at him, puzzled.

Sav'ran smirked. "Everyone's favorite red-clad traitor."

"Vincentio?" Cyrus said, surprised.

Sav nodded. "Only his hair was black, not white. And he was shacked up with that Black Mage in his home town. You know...the woman with the mark on her stomach?"

"Yeah?"

Sav'ran nodded.

"You tell Xoria?"

"I debated on whether or not to tell her, and I finally decided to tell them both. Turns out they already knew. Teraptus has made a point, apparently, to keep tabs on mages all over the place. He was planning to set up some kind of training academy for people with Wizard Marks or something. New kid on the way may have put that plan on hold, though."

"How are you and Mera?"

"Not having a kid just yet, I can tell you that," Sav'ran laughed. "Seriously, though. We're good. Make enough profit with my exclusive right to Elfheim's major trade goods that I can usually let the other ships handle it, and just sail around doing whatever I want. I just spent almost a month just cruising around the Cardian Sea. Happened to pick up a cargo in the Isles, and decided to bring it here personally."

"Well, it's good to see you."

"Mmmhmm," Sav'ran stared out the window...seemingly lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Sometimes I'm still amazed that it all never happened. The Fiends, the corruption, nobody but us and Bahamut remembers. It's been almost 12 years, and I'm still tracking down details of what everyone in THIS time remembers of us and our journey.

"Like your brother being king of Elfheim," Cyrus noted.

"Right.".

"Did Xoria tell you what she's been doing about it?"

Sav'ran looked surprised. "No, she didn't."

Cyrus smiled, "She's writing a book. Everything we did, all of it. She thinks it'll be pretty popular. It'll be listed as fantasy."

"A fantasy story about the Light Warriors?" Sav'ran scoffed. "Who'd wanna read that?"

That's the end of this story. Thanks to all my readers, everyone who's been with me since the beginning, and those that just joined me.


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